My Son
by adama-roslinlove
Summary: Rusty wakes up from a nightmare and Sharon is sick. Rusty cares for her and Sharon comforts him. I promise you the story is a lot better than the summary. Chapter 17 is now up!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I wish I did.**

Shots rang out. Rusty wakes up suddenly, bolting upright drenched in sweat. 'Just a nightmare,' he thinks. He calms himself down and goes back to sleep. He wakes back up and looks at his alarm clock. '9 o'clock,' he thinks, 'Time to get up.' He rolls out of bed and pads out to the bathroom. As he finishes up in the bathroom, he hears harsh coughs coming from Sharon's room. Rusty hesitantly walks over to Sharon's door and knocks on it. He has only been in her room once and that was when he thought someone had broken in. "Sharon, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she says in a croaky voice. He hears her clear her throat softly.

"You are not fine, Sharon. I'm coming in," Rusty calls out and then opens the door. He looks at the bed and sees Sharon in a bundle of blankets. In the last year that he has lived with her he has never once seen her sick. He almost believed she never got sick.

"Why did you come in here?" Sharon rasps, "I don't want to get you sick."

"Well, it's not like I'm going to avoid you all day. I might as well start pushing my luck now. Do you need anything?"

"A cup of tea would be nice," Sharon whispers.

"Alright, give me a minute," Rusty worriedly says.

Sharon lifts the corners of her lips in a barely there smile and Rusty leaves the room.

He walks out into the kitchen and takes Sharon's favorite mug and his favorite mug out of the cabinet. He heats up water and then puts coffee on for himself. As he is getting the tea ready, he is glad that he still has pajamas on because it is cold. He pours the coffee in his mug and drinks it. He then takes Sharon's tea in to her. As he is opening the door, he sees Sharon arched up in her bed coughing up a storm. He rushes over to her side, quickly places her mug on the bedside table, sits down on the side of her bed, and then starts rubbing her back.

As the coughing subsides, she lies back with her eyes closed and moans. After a minute or two she opens her eyes and rasps, "Thank you."

Rusty hands her the tea and then helps her sit up so she can take a sip. Once she takes a couple sips, he helps her lay back down and he puts the mug on the table.

She clears her throat and grasps Rusty's hand in her cold one. She tries to remove the worried look on Rusty's face by telling him that she'll be okay but it ends up being in a cracky voice which then makes him more worried.

"Are you sure there isn't anything more I can do for you, Sharon? I'm worried and I don't know what to do."

"Well, since you don't want to avoid me, you can sit and talk with me. That'll help," Sharon rasps. She pats the other side of the bed.

Rusty hesitantly walks around to the other side of the bed and then sits down. Sharon scoots more to the side and Rusty lays down beside her. He climbs underneath the covers and pulls the blanket up to his chin. He's silent for a little while, making Sharon think that he's fallen asleep. "I know I've never wanted to open up to you before, but I want to talk to you about what happened."

Sharon gives him a look urging him to continue.

"Dr. Joe got me to open up to him and I don't even know him, but I still haven't opened up to you. And I know why that is. I don't know him and that's why it was easy to tell him. I couldn't tell you because I was scared that what I would say would make you not love me anymore-"

"Rusty, I will always love you," Sharon rasps and takes a sip of her tea. "But I understand."

Rusty takes a deep breath and continues. "When I was out on the streets, I had to do some really bad things. I thought that my mom leaving me was my fault and I deserved what I had to do. I sold my body to men so I could be there whores. I did things to men that normal people don't do because I had to survive. The only thought that ran through my head while doing this was that I had to do this so I could survive. I thought that my whole life was going to be spent doing this because I didn't have anyone that cared about me. I've done things with men so many times that it became normal for me. I didn't know what it was like to have family. At first, I knew that what I was doing was bad, but then it became normal. I didn't feel like I was doing anything bad. I felt like I deserved it and it was what I had to do. I… I…"

Sharon audibly swallows and then rasps, "Rusty, it was not your fault. No matter what you had to do, you did it so you could survive. And now you're here, with someone who loves you and will always love you." Her voice cracks at the end due to emotion and illness. She slowly turns her head to look at Rusty and her lips have been lifted into a smile.

"Sharon, I had a dream last night…"

"Mmmhmm," Sharon hums after a moment of silence and then takes a sip of her tea.

"I had a dream where you got shot, and died. It was the person who has been writing me letters, but that doesn't make sense because he's coming after me not you. I woke up drenched in sweat and had to keep telling myself that you were alive. I was terrified, Sharon. But why would he shoot you?" Rusty says, his voice wavering. He looks at Sharon and notices the odd look on her face. "What is it that you're not telling me?"

"The letters we've been receiving lately haven't been addressed to you."

"Who were they addressed to?" Rusty says cautiously because he's afraid to hear the answer.

"They've been addressed to me," Sharon says hoarsely. She coughs but recovers quickly.

Rusty's heart drops. "What?"

Sharon rolls over onto her side so she can face Rusty. "There's nothing to worry about, Rusty. The letters don't threaten my life. I've had letters sent to me before and most of them were a lot worse than these."

Rusty can hear the way her hoarse voice takes on the practiced edge when she's saying this. He can see the fake smile that she puts on, but he lets it go because he doesn't want to push her. He told her what he was hiding from her in due time, he knows she'll do the same.

"Don't worry, Rusty. You're not getting rid of me anytime soon. I'll be here for a long time," Sharon rasps emotionally.

"They can't be wrong, right?"

"I don't know what you mean," Sharon says with a confused look on her face.

"Only the good die young," Rusty says with a smile.

Sharon playfully gives him a tired smack on the chest. She lets out a laugh that quickly turns into a cough.

"Sharon, are you sure you don't want to go to the doctor? You look pretty bad."

"Rusty, I'll be fine. It's just a cold, I promise," Sharon croaks. "Come here."

Rusty hesitantly scoots closer to her, still not comfortable showing emotion, and she hugs him to her side. He slowly lays his head down onto her chest and relaxes against her.

She feels his breathing even out and realizes that he has fallen asleep against her. Even when sick she can still care for her son. Actually, she's not sure what she has, but she hopes it's just a cold and not something more serious.

**I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is for everyone who wanted me to continue the story. When I was writing the first chapter, I wasn't sure if I wanted to write another chapter so I left it open in case I decided to continue it. I did decide to continue it so I hope you enjoy this next chapter. **

The next day Sharon's coughing hasn't gotten any better, in fact, it may have gotten worse. Rusty walks into her room and says, "Sharon, you need to go to the doctor. You're getting worse."

"I can't go to the doctor," Sharon hoarsely whispers.

"But you need to. I'm worried about you, Sharon," Rusty pleads.

"It's just a cold. I'll be fine."

"Sharon, you look really bad. This does not just look like a cold. You need help. People go to the doctor all the time. It's a normal thing to do. Please, Sharon."

Sharon consents because she wants Rusty to not be worried about her. She knows that going to the doctor won't help, but it will get him off her back. "Alright, I'll get ready to go." She stands up from the bed and wavers on her feet. Rusty rushes to her side and wraps his arm around her.

"Whoa, Sharon, slow down."

She shakily reaches down behind her to grab a hold of her bed and then she slowly sits back down. She then puts her hand to her forehead.

"Alright, let me get some clothes for you. Where are your yoga pants?"

"There in the bottom, right hand drawer of my dresser. Just get me a shirt from the middle, left hand drawer. It doesn't matter which one."

Rusty gets her clothes and then looks for some shoes while she is changing. "Do you even own any flat shoes?"

"I have flats in my closet," she says quietly.

He finally finds a pair of flats and he helps her stand up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now."

He gets her purse and the keys to the car. They walk to the car and as he is turning the car on, she starts coughing. Rusty rubs her back and then he puts his seatbelt on.

They arrive at the doctor's office smoothly, Sharon giving him directions along the way.

"Mrs. Raydor, come to the back," a voice says over the loudspeaker.

A gruff, salt-and-pepper haired doctor meets them in front of a room. As he is asking her questions Sharon looks over at Rusty and smiles. This is the doctor that her family has always gone to, yet she is still intrigued by the doctor's voice, very gravely yet smooth. She is surprised when she looks into his eyes and sees two blue oceans staring back at her. He takes a couple tests and then leaves the room.

As soon as the doctor leaves the room, Rusty turns to her and says, "Way to be obvious…"

"I don't know what you mean," Sharon whispers.

Rusty snorts and says, "Right."

Right after Rusty says this the doctor comes back in and says, "Sharon, you have bronchitis. I'll send a prescription in for some antibiotics and you can pick them up after you leave. It should be gone in a couple of weeks but if it gets worse, come back in."

"Thank you," Sharon hoarsely whispers.

"Rusty, I need to talk to Sharon alone for a moment. If you could leave the room for a couple minutes it would be appreciated."

"Alright, I'll be right outside the door, Sharon," Rusty says hesitantly and gives her a cautious look. He leaves the room and stands right outside the door. He doesn't mean to catch some of their conversation; he just hears a part of it on accident.

"Sharon, you know why you have this. Your immune system is already working as hard as it can so it can't fight off any other infections at the moment. You need to tell him. He has the right to know."

"I know I should tell him, but I can't. He has already been through so much in his life, this would break him. I can't do that to him. I don't want him to have to worry about me. That is not his job. As his mother, it's my job to care for him, not the other way around. Plus, once I tell him I am going to have to tell everyone else. I was hoping that it wouldn't interfere with my work."

"Sharon, I hate to tell you this, but he will eventually notice that something is very wrong. I'm sure he would like knowing that you told him what's going on instead of him finding out himself. You've told me what he has been through and I think that makes him more deserving of the truth. He needs to know. He will be upset, but he has the right to know."

"I know, but I don't know how to tell him."

"Just do what feels right. He'll understand."

"I'll try. And thank you, Bill," Sharon croakily says.

"Your welcome. Remember to come back if that doesn't get any better."

"I will." Sharon walks out of the room and smiles at Rusty. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Rusty says, as they walk out of the doctor's office.

On their way back home, they stop at the pharmacy to pick up Sharon's prescription as well as a package of cough drops. They make it back home in silence, save for a couple of coughs, and as soon as they make it inside the condo Sharon is taking her medicine. Once she takes her medicine, she walks into her room and sits down on her bed. She takes off her shoes and then lays back. Just as she is about to close her eyes, she sees Rusty walk into her room. She clears her throat and says, "Do you need something?"

Rusty sits down on the other side of her bed as she watches him curiously. He takes a deep breath and starts to speak. "After I stepped out of the room earlier, I accidentally overheard part of your conversation with the doctor."

Sharon gasps and whispers, "Oh no."

Rusty looks at her with a pleading look and says, "What haven't you been telling me?"

**Reviews are always appreciated! Let me know what you think. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here's chapter 3. I had a lot of wonderful reviews so I thought I would hurry up and post chapter 3. Hope you enjoy it!**

Her eyes become a mixture of love and sadness, so much that Rusty can't look at her anymore. He instead looks down at her bedspread, now too worried to even look at her.

She clears her throat to try and make her voice stronger, but it still comes out as just a hoarse whisper. "Rusty… I have breast cancer-"

She is interrupted by a load gasp and then she sees Rusty run out of her room and into his, closing the door loudly behind him. She raises her hand up to her cheek and wipes away a couple of tears. She quickly stands up from the bed, realizes that it was a bad idea, and grasps the wall for support. As the dizziness dies down she makes her way towards Rusty's room and knocks on his door. "Rusty, let me in." She hears a cry of anguish come from the other side of the door and she hoarsely tries again, "Rusty, come on, let me in." There is no response so she tries the door handle. Surprisingly, it is unlocked. She slowly pushes open the door, inch by inch, as she realizes that Rusty is sitting up against the door. She finally gets it open just enough that she can squeeze through. She closes the door and slides down next to Rusty. He is sobbing, his body heaving and loud cries coming from him. He barely remembers her wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close to her or the soft hums coming from her to comfort him. He does however remember her hoarsely humming a lullaby to him and her kissing the top of his head. He remembers her gently rocking him to the rhythm of the lullaby that she is humming. And he remembers feeling her tears falling onto the top of his head.

The next thing he remembers is opening his eyes and feeling his body cradled against Sharon's. Rusty leans into Sharon's side, but then realizes how absurd it is that he is taking comfort from the woman who is sick. He starts to back out of Sharon's embrace but then she catches his wrist. "Rusty, stay here. I'm right here."

He is about to pull back more when he finally crumbles and falls back against her. "Why didn't you tell me?" Rusty asks shakily.

Sharon takes a deep breath. "Because I didn't want you to have to worry about me. That's not your job. As your mother… As your guardian, I should be the one taking care of you, not the other way around."

Rusty notices her slip-up, notices the way her voice catches after she says mother. He's known for awhile. The way that she cares for him and the way that she loves him. He's silent for awhile, everything still except his tears falling onto Sharon's arm. The next thing he says comes out quietly, so quietly that Sharon isn't sure if he said it at all. "Are you going to die?"

Sharon gasps and turns to look at him in shock. "Of course not, Rusty. I'm not going to die," she says, her voice much stronger than it has been for the past two days. "You're going to be stuck with me for a long time. I caught it early enough that it won't be a problem."

Rusty lets out a breath he had been holding and says, "But how have you been getting treated without anyone knowing?"

"You know that long lunch break that I go on, that's when I do it. Being the captain has its perks." Sharon tries to shift the serious mood, but it doesn't work. "Rusty, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner…" She trails off as she notices that Rusty is looking down at the floor and there are tears once again trailing down his cheeks. "Rusty, I promise you I'm not going anywhere," she says as she holds him tighter to her. She rocks them back and forth and continues to whisper, "I promise." She can't help but be reminded of when she used to comfort her real children in this same way.

After the tears stop once again, she says, "Come on, let's get up off the floor." Rusty slowly extracts himself from her arms and she slowly stands up. She helps Rusty up and then walks with him over to his bed. They both lay down and Rusty moves back into her embrace.

"You're the only family I have, you can't leave me," Rusty says shakily.

"Rusty, I'm not going to leave you. I'm going to be here for a long time. I'm almost half way through my treatments and they seem to be working so far. The doctors are optimistic that I will recover, as am I."

"Wait, you've had it for that long. Why haven't you told Chief Taylor about it? You've been working nonstop and you've been protecting me this whole time."

"I haven't told anyone at work because I didn't want it to interfere with work. I didn't think anything would happen so I just didn't tell anyone. I also knew that if I told Chief Taylor then DDA Rios would find out and she would then argue that I couldn't protect you, which I can."

"Sharon, I can't believe you would risk something happening to you at work and them not knowing what to do."

Sharon gives a short, sad laugh and says, "It was so I could protect you." She looks down at the bedspread and says, "But now that you know I should probably tell them."

"I think you should, Sharon. They're your friends; they should know. Emma will say something about it, but I believe in your ability to make her shut up."

Sharon looks over at Rusty and smiles. "I am pretty good at that aren't I?"

Her smile falls as Rusty becomes sad once again. "Rusty, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I'll survive and protect you all at the same time and be damn good at it."

"Sharon, how can you even think about my threats when you have your own threats and you're fighting cancer?"

Tears fill Sharon's eyes. "Because that's what mothers do," she says with a sigh, "Our love for our children comes first and it always will." She hugs Rusty to her side tighter and lets out a breath. "That's what makes us mothers."

**As always, reviews are appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. And to the guest who asked who Bill is, Bill is a character from a different television series which also starred Mary McDonnell. They fell in love with each other through that series while the character that Mary McDonnell played went through cancer. The television series is Battlestar Galactica. **

The next day Sharon decides to go into work. She still is coughing up a fit and doesn't have a voice, but she feels she can endure a day of work. It is better than being cooped up in her bedroom not having anything to do. She would rather be working than have too much time to feel sorry for herself. As she is about to walk into her office, she turns around and says hoarsely to everyone, "Sykes, Flynn, Tao, Sanchez, Provenza, Buzz, could you all meet me in Chief Taylor's office."

Provenza, absolutely stunned, says, "Captain?" but Sharon has already left the room. They slowly get up out of their chairs and make their way over to the Chief's office. Sharon opens the door to his office and as she steps in everyone else follows her.

Chief Taylor says, "Hello, Captain, and Lieutenants. Are you feeling any better?"

"A little," she hoarsely says.

"You don't sound much better."

"It's going to be a little while before my voice becomes its normal tone," she says as she sits down in the chair in front of Taylor's desk. Everyone else gathers around her. "But I have something else to tell you all that you should know. I should have told you a long time ago but something stopped me. I have breast cancer."

"Oh my god. Captain, I'm so sorry," Sykes says.

"Thank you, but I don't need your pity. I am still planning on doing my job."

"Captain, is there anything that we need to do?" Flynn asks.

"I just wanted to let you all know in case something was to happen to me here at work. I wanted you to know so that you would know what was going on and what you would need to do. I am not planning on this interfering with work or anything involved with work. Now, that is all I needed to tell you so you can all get back to work."

Everyone files out the door but Sharon. She stands up and just as she is about to walk out the door Chief Taylor calls after her, "I'm sorry to do this but you know that I'm now going to have to give DDA Rios a call."

"I know; I was expecting it," Sharon says but doesn't turn around. "Let me know when she gets here." With that, Sharon walks out of Chief Taylor's office and into her own. She sinks down into her chair with a sigh and leans back. She closes her eyes for what seems like a minute, but it really is fifteen. The next thing she sees is Rios charging in to her office.

"Meet me in Chief Taylor's office, right now," Rios says. She walks back out the door and heads towards his office.

Sharon slowly stands up from her chair and walks back over to his office. She takes a deep breath before she opens the door, steeling herself for the fight that lies ahead. She opens the door and walks in. The first thing she is confronted with is Rios saying, "I don't think you realize how much danger you have put Rusty in by not telling us. You had no right not to give us this information."

"Excuse me; I had every right not to tell you my medical information. That is private. In fact, Rusty didn't even know until yesterday."

"That is not the point. The point is that you are now not able to give Rusty the protection that he needs."

"Actually, up until fifteen minutes ago, my protection of Rusty was just fine, until you find out that I have cancer. I have had cancer for quite a while and you just haven't known about it, so I believe my protection of Rusty is still just fine."

"Captain, I don't think you understand-"

Sharon turns around with more strength than she has had in the past few days and says in her normal, full voice, "No, DDA Rios, I don't think you understand." Rios jumps back in surprise. "My cancer will not prevent me from protecting Rusty. It will also not prevent me from keeping Rusty in my protection and in my home. The only way that Rusty will be leaving my protection is over my dead body. Understood?"

Rios realizes that the Captain is not going to listen to her if she plays hard. Now she has to switch gears and play soft. "Captain, what happens if, let's just say, the letter writer shows up? What happens if you don't have any strength?"

"I would do what any other parent would do; I would protect him with everything that I have."

Rios sits back in the chair with an exasperated look on her face, knowing that Sharon has once again won.

Sharon walks out of Chief Taylor's office with a look of victory on her face. She leans against the wall outside of his office and tries to reign in the energy that she exerted against Rios. She walks towards her office shakily and sits down in her chair. Rusty follows her in and says, "You won."

"Could you tell by my face?"

"Yes. Plus, you were pretty loud," Rusty adds with a smile. "In fact, I'm pretty sure the entire office heard you."

Sharon smiles up at him and says, "Well, I did get her to shut up. I did my job."

Rusty sits down in the chair in front of her desk. "Sharon?"

"Hmm," she says as she begins to work.

"When is your next treatment?"

"Tomorrow. Why?"

"I would like to go with you. You've done so much for me; I'd like to do a little for you to take your mind off things."

Sharon looks up at him with a surprised expression on her face. "Oh… Okay," she says slightly stunned. "Just letting you know, it's not going to be very fun."

"I'm not expecting it to be fun. I just want to help you."

**Once again, reviews are appreciated and I take them all into account. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, here's the next chapter. Glad everyone is enjoying it still. **

Shortly past ten o'clock the next day Sharon gathers her things and makes her way out of her office. She closes the door behind her and walks over to Rusty. He looks up at her nervously.

"You know you don't have to come with me? You can just stay here and wait for me to come back."

"Sharon, I want to go with you. I'm not going to change my mind."

"Alright, come on," she says as she lets out a small sigh.

He follows her out of the office and into the elevator. He sees her lean against the side of the elevator with a look of worry and stress. "Sharon, is this what you do every single time?"

She looks over at him with a pained expression on her face and hesitantly nods. Just as Rusty is about to reach over and comfort her, the elevator doors open. Inside he is somewhat happy that he was interrupted because he still doesn't feel comfortable showing emotion. But a small part of him knows that he should have at least said something.

They make their way out to the parking lot and get in the car. The drive to the hospital is silent, both of them not sure what to say or if the words will even be accepted. Sharon parks the car and they make their way to the breast cancer center. The next time Rusty speaks is when Sharon is signing herself in. "Can I go in there with you or do I have to wait out here?"

As she is filling out a piece of paperwork she looks up at Rusty and says, "Of course you can go in there with me. I wouldn't have allowed you to come if you had to wait out here." She finishes up the paperwork and then walks over to the chairs, Rusty following her the entire way. They both sit down and Rusty looks nervously at Sharon. "I'll be fine, Rusty."

A nurse comes out from the hallway and as she calls for Sharon a tense Rusty jumps. Sharon places her hand on top of Rusty's and squeezes it. They both stand up and make their way down the long, hospital hallway. The nurse leads them to a room and has Sharon lay down on the bed. As she begins to set up Sharon's treatment, Rusty drags a chair over from the corner and sits down beside her. Before the nurse gets any farther in her setup she says, "Can you tell me your name and your birthday?"

"Sharon Raydor. 3/7/56."

"Thank you. Alright, I'm going to put the needle in and then you'll be all set."

"Alright."

Rusty sees Sharon slightly wince as the needle goes in. He sees her take a deep breath and then try to relax into the bed.

The nurse slightly adjusts the needle and then takes her gloves off. She says to Sharon, "The call button is right next to you if you need anything. Don't hesitate to push it." Once she says this, she leaves the room and closes the door behind her.

"Ugh," Sharon moans. "Don't ever get cancer. The cure is worse than the disease." She closes her eyes and leans back against the pillow.

Rusty looks at her and realizes how much she has been holding in. He's never before realized how strong she is mentally and physically. About thirty minutes later he hears a soft knock coming from the door. "Come in," he says softly. The door opens quietly and in walks the family doctor. "Oh, hi. Bill, right?"

"Yes. Hello, Rusty."

At the sound of his voice, Sharon's wakes up. She opens her eyes slowly and takes a deep breath to try and calm the nausea. She clears her throat and says, "Hi, Bill. What are you doing here?"

Bill looks from Rusty to Sharon and says, "I knew you had an appointment today. I've watched someone close to me go through cancer and I know how hard it is. I thought I would stop by as a friend and help keep your mind off the treatment. I know how miserable that can be. I brought a book." Bill holds up the book and looks to Sharon for a reply.

Sharon smiles and says, "Thank you."

Bill takes the other chair and sits on the opposite side of the bed from Rusty. He opens the book to page one and begins to read in his gravely voice.

Rusty is surprised by how interested even he is to hear what happens in the book, but then he looks over at Sharon. He notices that Sharon is now turned towards Bill and she has a smile playing on the corners of her lips. Now Rusty isn't thinking about the book, he is thinking about Sharon and how strong she is. He thinks about how much it took for her not to tell him and how hard that must have been. He is brought back to the present when he hears the sound of someone closing a book. He looks over at Bill and sees that the book is now sitting on his lap, closed as if he was never reading it. Bill must have forgotten his presence because he leans over, cups Sharon's cheek, and places a kiss on her forehead. He leans back up and is somewhat taken aback when he sees Rusty looking at him. He gives Rusty a smile and says, "Take good care of her."

Rusty, still in shock, nods quickly and then Bill stands up and leaves the room quietly. Rusty stares at the door still shocked at what he saw. He thinks, 'Does Bill have feelings for her? Does he care about her like that?' He quickly shakes his head, knocking those thoughts from his mind. It isn't any of his business and he'll just act like he never saw that happen. At some point while deep in his thoughts he becomes tired and lays his head down on the bed next to Sharon. He quickly surrenders to sleep and succumbs to the darkness.

The next thing he knows is feeling a hand softly stroking the top of his head. He opens his eyes and looks up into Sharon's smile. "Hey Sleepyhead, time to wake up." He sits up and sees a nurse removing the needle from Sharon's hand.

The nurse places a bandage over the needle mark in Sharon's hand and then begins to put the equipment away. "Well, you've finished another treatment. You're done for the day," the nurse says to Sharon.

"Thank you." Sharon slowly stands up from the bed and gathers her purse. She coughs a couple times, the bronchitis showing itself, but then recovers before Rusty can say anything. Rusty stands up as well and follows her out of the room. As they walk out of the treatment center, Sharon stops and turns to look at Rusty. "Rusty, don't look at me like I'm going to break. I'm fine."

"I wasn't," Rusty says and is annoyed because he got caught.

They continue walking to the car and Sharon unlocks it, climbing in to the driver's seat.

Before she can put the key into the ignition, Rusty says, "Sharon, should you really be driving?"

"Rusty, I'm fine. I promise." Admittedly, she is slightly dizzy and her vision is a bit blurred, but she knows that she has driven under worse conditions before. She starts the car and backs out of the parking space. They then head back to her work so she can continue to go on as if nothing has changed.

**Just wanted to let you readers all know, if anyone would like to see me write anything specific in this story, let me know. I am a writer who is always open to ideas. Hope your enjoyed this chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, here's the next chapter. This is for the readers who wanted to see more of Sharon's symptoms and Rusty taking care of her. Sorry it wasn't up earlier but Fanfiction's uploading service was down. Hope you all enjoy it!**

That night after both Rusty and Sharon retire to their respective rooms does Rusty let out his worry. He changes into his pajamas and lies down on his bed, burying his face in his pillow and beginning to cry silently. His body shakes, letting out all the emotion that he kept inside of himself for the entire day, not letting anybody see it. He should have known. He should have seen it. He had noticed that Sharon had lost a little weight even though she was skinny enough. And he noticed that she was tired a lot more lately. But he thought it was just due to the stress from the letters. Once the tears are gone and he is merely trying to stop hyperventilating from crying so hard, he hears Sharon vomiting. It's not loud, almost as if she's trying to hide the fact that she's throwing up, but he can still hear it.

He slowly stands up from his bed and quietly opens his door. He can see light peeking out from under Sharon's door and wonders how long this has been going on and he just didn't hear it. He stops in front of her door, not sure if he should go in, not sure if his presence will be welcome. It's not like he hasn't seen someone throwing up before. His mom was always on drugs and throwing up, even once in his lap. But this is Sharon, the strongest woman he has ever known. She never lets anyone see her vulnerable side. But he also knows from what he has looked up that chemo is a bitch and anyone going through it should have a shoulder to lean on when need be. He has read that chemo can emotionally harm a person and send them in a downward spiral. He doesn't want that to happen to Sharon. He takes a deep breath and then quietly opens her door. He walks around her bed towards the bathroom and peeks in through the crack between the wall and the almost closed door. He sees her sitting on the tile floor, shaking, and leaning over the toilet. Her hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail and she has her head propped up on her arms. Tears fill his eyes because he has never once seen her this vulnerable. Never once seen a break in her armor.

Rusty silently squeezes through the crack in the door and then sits down behind Sharon. As he begins to softly rub her back she jumps, startled by the contact. "It's me, Sharon."

She moans and says, "I know. Why are you in here? Rusty, you shouldn't have to see me like this." She is interrupted when she starts to throw up again.

Rusty looks over her shoulder and sees dried tear droplets on the toilet seat. Her hair is starting to come out of the ponytail so he gathers her hair in one hand and holds it while rubbing her back with his other.

"Oh god," she moans. A moment of silence and then she says, "Rusty, go back to bed."

"I'm not going anywhere, Sharon. I'm staying right here with you. Besides, I couldn't go to sleep anyway."

Sharon is about to turn her head and look at him when she starts to throw up again. In the middle of her throwing up, she starts to cry. She wipes her mouth with a piece of toilet paper and flushes the toilet. She leans back against Rusty and continues to cry. Rusty hesitantly wraps his arms around her and pulls her close to him. He moves back against the wall and rubs Sharon's back while his arms are around her. He's not comfortable hugging her, but he knows that it is what she needs, so he does it anyway. He can feel her tears falling on his arm and after awhile he says quietly, "Are you okay?"

She quickly nods her head and then moves to stand up. She grasps the counter top and then slowly stands. She takes a couple steps back, becoming dizzy.

Rusty quickly stands up behind her and wraps his arms around her. "You are not okay, Sharon."

"No, I'm not. But I'm trying to quickly get back to my bed before I get too dizzy."

Rusty keeps his arms around her as she washes her hands and her mouth. He hates seeing her like this, so fragile and vulnerable. As many terrible things as he has seen in his entire life, this may be the worst. The broken expression on Sharon's face and the tears falling down her face. After she wipes her hands on the towel she turns around and shuts the light off, walking out into her room with Rusty holding onto her just to be safe. She tenderly lies down on her bed and softly says good night to Rusty. Just as Rusty is about to leave her room, he turns back and walks around to the other side of her bed. He carefully climbs into the bed next to her, trying not to jostle the mattress. He hears her tearfully whisper, "Thank you."

Rusty takes her hand in his and knows what needs to be said. "I love you, Sharon. I hope you know that." He looks over at her, waiting for a response. When he doesn't get one, he thinks that she has fallen asleep.

After a minute or two she finally says, "I do." She looks over at him and says, "I promise you, Rusty, I will get through this. I won't leave you. But you have to promise me something."

"Anything."

"Don't ever let me give up. It's going to be hard sometimes, but in the end I have to be here for my three children." Sharon says this with tears in her eyes and love in her heart.

Rusty looks over at her also with tears in his eyes, "I won't let you give up. Because I need you and you're the only family I have."

Sharon reaches over and pulls him against her tightly, wincing when he touches her chest. He moves to back away but she pulls him to her tighter. She places a kiss on the top of his head and then whispers, "Good night, Rusty."

"Good night, Sharon."

After Rusty says this they both fall asleep soundly for the night, Rusty carefully tucked in Sharon's arms. Neither of them moves throughout the night, Sharon keeping her arms firmly wrapped around Rusty. The blanket is pulled up all the way keeping the warmth inside of the bed. With Rusty safe in her arms, Sharon doesn't wake up worried or having a nightmare. With Sharon holding Rusty, he also doesn't wake up from a nightmare. They both sleep peacefully for the first time in weeks.

**Again, hope you all enjoyed it! Reviews and suggestions are appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 7

**For my readers, here is the next chapter. I hope all of you have read Chapter 6. Fanfiction was being weird earlier in the week when I updated it so you might want to check and make sure you read the last chapter. This is a short chapter and that is because it is just a filler chapter. I can tell you for sure that the next chapter will be up within the next 24 hours because it is already written. Hope you like it!**

The next morning they both sleep in late, neither of them wakes up until after nine. Sharon is the first one up though, surprised at first when she feels someone's body touching hers. Then she remembers last night and tears fill her eyes. She remembers throwing everything up and Rusty holding her as she cried. She remembers Rusty being the one to give her strength. She looks over at his sleeping form and hugs him closer to her side instinctively, the mother in her kicking in.

A couple minutes later Rusty wakes up beside her. His head is still lying on her chest and has been all night. He yawns and then stretches out.

"You're awake. Did you have a good night's sleep?"

"Actually, I did, for the first time in a long time."

"Me too. So, what do you want to do today? I was already feeling absolutely terrible at work yesterday and I let them know that I wasn't going to be coming in today. So, we have a free day all to ourselves. Have any suggestions?"

Rusty looks up at her and sees her smiling. "Sharon, can we just stay in our pajamas all day and watch movies together? I'd like that more than anything else."

"Actually, Rusty, that doesn't sound like a bad plan at all. In fact, I would love that."

"But first, let's have something to eat. I'm starving," Rusty says. He carefully raises his head from her chest and then climbs out of the bed.

Sharon takes her time getting out of bed, trying not to ruin the day with Rusty within the first five minutes. She slowly stands up and they make their way out to the kitchen. As she heads towards the kitchen Rusty says, "Don't worry about it. I'll make breakfast. You go sit down on the couch and pick out our first movie for the day."

As Sharon makes her way over to the DVD rack, Rusty starts cooking up breakfast. He whips up some scrambled eggs and some toast and then fills two glasses. One filled with orange juice and the other apple. As he is setting the table Sharon looks back at him and says, "We can break the rule just this once."

Rusty smiles back at her and does not mention anything about last night. He'll bring it up when the time comes. He brings the plates and silverware over and sets them on the coffee table and then goes back for the drinks. As he sits down on the couch, Sharon pops a movie in and then sits down beside him. They are both done with their breakfast by the time that the main menu is on the screen. Rusty picks up the dishes and places them in the kitchen and then goes back to his spot beside Sharon.

Sharon places the blanket over both of them and Rusty cuddles into her side as Sharon presses the play button.

"Yes! I love _Independence Day_! Great choice!"

"I'm glad you like it," Sharon says. Those are the last words that are spoken for the next two hours and thirty three minutes. Rusty lays his head down on Sharon's shoulder and they enjoy the movie.

Once the movie is done, Rusty says, "Sharon, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"About last night. Sharon, I have been researching chemotherapy and I know that it's hard on you, physically and mentally. Why haven't you been telling me that this is going on? I would have helped you. You always pretend like nothing has changed and you are the same strong woman that you have always been. You don't have to pretend for me. I know that it's hard and that you're going to need someone to lean on after awhile. Let me. Let me hold you up once in awhile. You can't do this alone."

"Rusty, I'm sorry. I don't know how to not pretend like I'm strong. I've had to do that all my life. Last night was the first time that I have ever accepted comfort from someone. It's hard. I had to build a wall around my heart when Jack left and I have never let anyone see inside of it since. But somehow you got past that wall and you've seen much more than I have let anyone else see. I know I don't have to do this alone and I'm slowly learning that. Thank you, Rusty. Now, what movie should we watch next?"

**Hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are loved! Remember, the next chapter will be up within the next 24 hours.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, I told you all that the next chapter would be up soon. Here it is. Hope you all like it! I know I enjoyed writing it!**

A few weeks later after dinner, Rusty goes off to his room to read and Sharon stays out in the living room to work. She puts on some classical music and sits down on the couch, spreading out her paperwork on the coffee table before her. She pulls out her pen and begins to make notes on the paper. The classical music relaxing her and letting her find her groove. After just thirty minutes of looking over paperwork, her eyes slip closed with the fatigue from the cancer looming over her. Her treatment today had been particularly hard. She had been left with a massive headache and her head spinning, not just the usual nausea.

When she wakes the sky is dark, the lights in the apartments around her building being turned off for the night. The air is still and silent, a troubling feeling settling over her. Rusty must have come out of his room earlier and noticed that she was asleep so he turned the music and lights off instead of waking her.

She gathers her papers in a pile and then slowly stands up. As she waits for the dizziness to lessen, she glances around the room making sure nothing is out of place. There are armed security guards outside of her apartment but she can never be absolutely positive. Once the dizziness calms, she walks over to the kitchen and wets a washcloth to place on her forehead for the headache. As she makes her way to her bedroom, she checks the front door to be sure that it is locked. Rusty must be asleep because she can't see any light coming from underneath his door. She walks into her bedroom and closes the door behind her. As she is getting ready for bed, she dims the lights in her bathroom to make it easier on her head. She puts her hair up in a ponytail and then washes her face, making sure to get all of the makeup off. She hates waking up in the morning and finding that she has black smudges underneath her eyes. She takes her hair out of the hair band, noticing that a little bit of it has fallen out. Forcefully, she throws it in the trash. As she brushes her teeth her eyes fill with tears. She knew this might happen, but she just hopes that it is some of her hair and not all of it. She doesn't think that she could hold it together if she lost her hair, the one thing on her body that she is still proud of.

She makes her way out of the bathroom and then changes into her warm pajamas, needing the extra warmth because the chemo is sucking it right out of her. She climbs into bed, taking her glasses off and putting them on the bedside table. Placing the washcloth over her forehead, she closes her eyes and then says a silent prayer for her and Rusty's safety, the first one in awhile.

After Jack had left her, she didn't feel like God listened to her anymore. She continued to go to mass for her kids so they would have someone to look up to, to put up a front that she still had hope in God, but she did stop praying. After her children left, she stopped everything having to do with God. But then Rusty came and she began the healing process. She began to go back to mass and to start praying again. Then she got cancer and she stopped praying once more. She lost herself. And now for the first time in a long time, she turns to God for help once again.

She falls asleep and hopes that the washcloth will do its job.

Rusty wakes up when he hears a rattling sound coming from the living room. His head shoots up and he looks at the door, seeing nothing but knowing that someone is there. 'Oh no,' he thinks, 'Sharon.'

He stands up from the bed once the rattling stops. As he nears the door, he takes a deep breath and then quietly opens it. He peeks out and sees nothing in the hallway. He slowly walks out and looks out into the living room. There is a man facing away from him standing next to the dining room table. He quickly makes his way into Sharon's room and quietly locks the door. He walks over to her bed and sees her with a washcloth on her forehead. He feels sorry when he puts his hand over her mouth.

Sharon gasps for breath, awakened by Rusty covering her mouth with his hand. She looks at him but her vision is blurred, her head is spinning. She thinks she sees a worried look on his face as she brings her hand out from under the blanket and squeezes his arm.

"Sharon, someone's in the house. And it's not Jack," Rusty whispers.

Sharon is surprised and shocked. How did he get past the security guards? Are the security guards outside lying dead on the floor? Sharon stands up, wavering on her feet, and finds her gun. She is dizzy and can't see straight but damn it she is not going to let either of them die today. She slides on her glasses but they don't help. She makes her way to the door but then turns back and whispers to Rusty, "Stay in here, Rusty. And whatever happens, do not open this door. Understand?" Sharon sees him nod and she turns around and quietly opens the door. She takes a deep breath and then peeks out. She makes her way outside of her room slowly, closing the door softly behind her.

Rusty quickly walks to the door and locks it. He then goes back further into her room and sits down on the floor beside her bed, hoping that Sharon will be okay.

Sharon takes a couple deep breaths, trying to stop her head from spinning. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. She slowly walks out towards the living room wishing there was some sort of light. She peeks around the corner quickly, taking a deep breath as bile begins to rise into her throat. She knows that in her condition she shouldn't be holding a gun right now, anything could happen, but she has no other option. As she peeks around the corner she sees a man holding a knife facing away from her. She wavers on her feet as she pulls herself away from the wall. She slowly makes her way into the living room and is glad that her voice doesn't shake when she says, "Drop the knife. Raise your hands above your head and slowly turn around. No sudden movements or I will shoot you." She makes her way closer to him and says strongly, "Do it." She doesn't know what she is going to do if she has to take a shot. Her head is spinning and her vision is beyond blurry.

He starts to turn towards her but doesn't drop his knife. Instead, he runs at her and Sharon aims her gun. Hoping that chemo doesn't frak with her aim, she takes a deep breath and then takes the shot. She hears him say, "You bitch," and then she sees him fall to the floor. As she starts to walk over to kick the knife away from him, she doesn't see him struggling to pull out a gun. All she hears is a gun going off and then someone yelling, "Sharon, no…"

Having no time to think, Rusty just acts. He tackles her to the ground as the bullet whizzes past them. The breath that she has left gets knocked out of her as Rusty lands on top of her.

Sharon sits up quickly, making her head spin more, and aims her gun. She takes another shot and misses, her hand shaking too much and her vision blurred. "Shit," she says under her breath. As she re-aims her gun for another try, knowing that the first time was just luck, Rusty brings his hand up and grasps the gun, steadying it, and aims it at the man's heart.

She looks at him in surprise and then she hears Rusty say, "Shoot, Sharon." She snaps back into the present and pulls the trigger.

As soon as the bullet hits him and his upper body falls back onto the floor he doesn't move. Sharon and Rusty both know that he is dead. Rusty releases his grip on the gun and Sharon lays it down on the floor in front of them shakily. They hear sirens off in the distance. Sharon takes a deep breath and then turns toward Rusty. "You did it, Rusty. Even though I asked you not to, you did it. Thank you."

"No, Sharon, you did it. You pulled the trigger; you did it. I just helped."

Her eyes begin to fill with tears and then she says, "Thank you for saving my life." She's breathing heavily and trying to catch her breath.

"I had to, Sharon. You're my only family and I love you."

Sharon wraps him tightly in a hug and rests her cheek on top of his head. She hugs him tighter than she ever has before and doesn't let go. Tears are streaming down her face as she rocks them back and forth, comforting both of them. She murmurs into his ear, "I love you too, Rusty. And I am never letting you go again. You're staying right here with me, no matter what. You're my son."

**Comments and suggestions are always appreciated! Hoped you enjoyed it!**


	9. Chapter 9

**To all of my fantastic readers, I'm glad that you've been enjoying this story and I hope you enjoy this next chapter. And to any of my readers who have gone through cancer, I really hope that I'm writing this correctly and that I'm doing it justice. Enjoy!**

They both hear the police arrive at the building and Sharon relaxes her grip on Rusty. She then says, "That took a lot out of me. Would you help me up?"

As Rusty stands up from the floor, he wraps one arm around Sharon's waist and takes Sharon's hand in his empty one, helping her up. Once they are both standing, Rusty hesitantly releases his hold on her and then bends down to pick up her gun. He places it on the end table in the living room. He then turns the lights on.

Sharon takes a deep breath and then tries to walk over to the front door, knowing that the police are going to be there any second. Instead, she falters on her first step, too much energy having been drained from her in the struggle. Luckily, Rusty is there to stop her from falling. He catches her around the waist and says, "Sharon, let me help you."

He walks with her to the door and they arrive at the same time that the police begin to pound on it and call in. Rusty supports her around the waist as she opens the door.

Police come rushing in through the door and into their apartment. They find the body on the floor with a pool of blood surrounding it. As Sharon looks out into the hallway, she finds the two security guards dead on the floor as well. She takes a deep breath and then closes the door. She looks over at Rusty and says to him, "I'm fine now, Rusty. You can let go of me."

Rusty tentatively lets go of her and looks at her for any sign of trouble. He sees that she has now slipped into her Captain mask. There is none and so he looks away from her. She slowly makes her way back into the living room and there is a cop waiting to ask her a couple questions.

"Are you Captain Sharon Raydor?"

"Yes, I am. My badge is in my bedroom, do you need to see it?"

"Yes please."

"Alright, give me a minute." As Sharon makes her way slowly into her bedroom to get her badge, the officer follows her, not certain about her identity. While Sharon is doing this, Rusty sits down on the couch. Sharon comes back in with her badge and her cell phone and hands her badge to the officer.

"Also, I'm going to need a statement from you and…"

"Rusty Beck. I'm his legal guardian," Sharon says.

Rusty stands up from the couch and makes his way over to Sharon.

"Can you please tell us everything that you remember?"

"I was sleeping in my bedroom and I heard a rattling sound coming from the living room. I left my bedroom and snuck over to Sharon's room and woke her up," Rusty says and then Sharon continues from his stopping point.

"Once he woke me up, I got my gun from my drawer in my bedroom and walked out into the hallway. Rusty stayed in my room after I walked out. Once I got out in the hallway, I looked into the living room and the man's back was facing me. I could tell that he had a knife on him but I could not tell that he had a gun on him. I walked into the living room and announced my presence. I told him to drop the knife and turn around. Instead, he started to turn around but did not drop his knife and he came toward me. The lights were off in the apartment, but there was enough light coming through the window that I could tell that I didn't know who he was. I shot him once in the chest and he went down, dropping the knife. I went over to kick the knife away and he pulled out his gun and took a shot at me. Right as he took a shot at me, Rusty tackled me to the ground. I aimed at him again, shot and missed. I aimed at him a third time, shot and hit him. He went down and was dead. About five minutes later you officers showed up. The bullet that missed me should be somewhere here in the living room and the bullet that missed him should be somewhere in the dining room."

"Thank you. Lieutenants, we have two missing bullets. One should be in the dining room and the other should be in the living room. Please find them."

One of the officers begins to look for a bullet in the dining room and another officer looks for a bullet in the living room. About two minutes later, both bullets are found. One is found in one of the dining room chairs and the other is found in the back of the couch.

Sharon makes her way back over to the body lying on the floor while Rusty returns to his position on the couch. She then turns to Rusty. "Well, I don't think we'll have to worry about receiving any more threats. I think I killed the letter writer." She makes her way over to the couch and then sits down beside Rusty with a sigh. She wraps her arm around his shoulders and brings him close to her body so that she can place a kiss on his forehead. She then calls Lieutenant Provenza.

"Hello Captain," Provenza says in a sleepy voice. "What can I do for you so late in the evening?"

"Well, Rusty and I received a visit from the suspected letter writer about half an hour ago."

"Oh…" Provenza groans and then he sits up in bed.

"Just calling to let you know, he's dead."

"How?"

"I shot him, twice." Sharon glances at Rusty when she says this and she sees a proud smile on his face.

"Great job, Captain. But, how did he get past the security guards?"

"He killed them, I'm not sure how at this moment. Two security guards are lying dead outside of my apartment and I have our suspected letter writer lying dead in my dining room."

"Sharon, you did your job and much, much more. You kept your promise to Rusty. Don't have any doubts about what happened tonight."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. But whenever someone gets killed, you always have doubts. I'll see you later in the morning. Get some sleep."

"You too, Captain."

Sharon ends the call and then places her phone on the coffee table. She turns around on the couch and faces the police. "Officers, I believe I know who the victim is. I believe he is the missing suspect that my team has been looking for. We've been trying to find him for a while now. I run the Major Crimes division and I think he is a suspect in one of our undercover operations."

"We'll look into that," the lead detective says. "But to help, could you please send all the files on this man to our office in the morning?" As he is saying this, the medical examiner comes in and takes the body out of the apartment, as well as the two security guards lying dead in the hallway. The blood is cleaned up and taken away.

"I will do that."

"Also, you will need to contact FID and give them your statement as well in the morning. But, this should just be self-defense. I will also need to take your gun so that we can check with ballistics."

"It's on the end table right behind you," Sharon says, and points to the gun. "I will call FID in the morning, thank you for reminding me."

The officer picks up her gun from the end table and places it in a plastic bag. "I think we have all that we need here. Remember to send over those files in the morning."

"I will," Sharon says.

The officer hands her back her badge and then the police leave their apartment. Rusty stands up from the couch and locks the door and then makes his way back over to Sharon. He sits down on the couch and says, "Well, I'm not going back to sleep tonight."

"I'm probably not either. I would say we could stay out here and watch movies but if I fall asleep on the couch, I will not be able to stand up in the morning. Why don't we go in my room and talk?"

"Sure," Rusty says.

Sharon stands up from the couch, picks up her cell phone, and wavers on her feet, the adrenaline from the evening wearing off.

Rusty hurriedly stands up and wraps his arms around her waist. "Sharon, I think you need to lie down," Rusty says, nervous.

They walk over to her bedroom, turning off the lights as they go. Sharon sits down on the bed and places her cell phone on her bedside table. Rusty closes her bedroom door and then lies back on her bed underneath the covers. Sharon slips into the bed and then takes her glasses off. They talk until they both fall asleep.

**As always, reviews and comments are appreciated! If you have any suggestions, they are also appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, here's the next chapter. Thought you readers deserved one after making it through the season finale. Hope you enjoy it!**

Rusty awakens when he hears Sharon scream. He bolts upright in bed and his eyes flash open. He looks over at Sharon and sees her sitting up in bed as well. Her knees are tucked up underneath her chin and she is looking warily at the door. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. "Sharon, you're okay," Rusty says as he wraps his arms around her. He rocks her back and forth as she cries.

Sharon lays her head down on Rusty's shoulder and tries to calm herself, telling herself that Rusty is okay. She gathers her strength and says, "I had a dream that you were shot. When you tackled me to the floor, the bullet ended up hitting you and you were bleeding out on the floor. I tried everything but I couldn't stop the bleeding. By the time the ambulance showed up, it was too late." Sharon looks over at Rusty. "I can't lose you." She pulls him into a hug and rubs the back of his head, needing to feel him to know that he is there.

Instead of backing out of her embrace once she relaxes her grip on him, he moves them into a lying position. He keeps his arms around her, finally realizing how close he came to losing her tonight. If he had continued to follow her directions, if he had come out of her bedroom one second later, if he had hesitated before tackling her to the ground, it all would have ended much differently. He would be alone and there would be no one here to care for him, no one here to love him.

"Sharon, I'm okay and I'm here. Now, let's go back to sleep. You have to go to work in the morning and you need as much energy as you can get."

"Alright," Sharon agrees with him shakily. She pulls him closer to her and they fall back asleep.

Sharon's alarm goes off at six, far too early for either of them. The first two times it goes off Sharon presses the snooze button, but by the third time Sharon is annoyed enough with it that she wakes up. She swings her legs over the side of her bed and yawns, not having got enough sleep. Before she stands up, she places her hand on Rusty's shoulder and gives it a shake. "Rusty, it's time to get up."

"No," Rusty groans.

"Yes, it is. Get up." Sharon stands up from the bed, happy that her strength isn't betraying her today. She turns on her bedroom light and then makes her way over to her bathroom.

While she is taking her usual morning shower, Rusty slowly gets out of her bed and then groans even though he knows Sharon can't hear him, "It's too early for this."

"I heard that," Sharon calls from the shower.

Rusty makes his way into his bathroom and then proceeds to get ready for the day.

Sharon gets out of the shower and then begins to blow-dry her hair, pulling out some in the process. Her eyes fill up with tears but she doesn't let any out. She puts on her make-up, trying very hard to cover up the dark circles under her eyes. After she gets dressed, she opens her bedroom door and makes her way toward the kitchen. She steps over the spot where the body was laying the night before and puts coffee on the brew. She opens the refrigerator and pulls the carton of milk out. She pours herself a bowl of cereal and a mug of coffee just as Rusty comes into the kitchen. "Have some breakfast," she says as she sits down at the dining room table, beginning to eat.

By the time that they are heading out the door it is a little after eight. Sharon locks the door and then turns around, realizing that there are no security guards today to make sure that they are safe, and that she has no gun. Hopefully that was the letter writer that she killed last night.

Once they arrive at work, Rusty goes off to his corner to play chess and Sharon tells her team to send the files on the letter writer over to the officers from last night. She then walks into her office, falling down into her chair. She leans her head back and takes a couple of breaths, waiting for the next tragedy to strike. She takes one more deep breath and then makes the call to FID. Just as she hangs up the phone, Provenza, Sykes, and Flynn walk into her office.

"Captain," Sykes says. She is the first to sit down in one of the chairs in the office and then the other two follow.

"We just wanted to make sure that you're alright," Flynn says.

"Aside from being a little bit sore from Rusty tackling me to the floor, I'm just fine. You all can stop worrying about me. I may be fighting cancer, but I can still hold my own in a fight. Please, stop worrying about me. Now go back to work."

"Alright," Sykes says, hesitating. She leaves the room along with Andy, Provenza hesitating by the door.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"I spoke with Rusty, you're not doing fine. He told me about the nightmare that you had last night and that he had to help you shoot the suspected letter writer. What's going on?" Provenza says this as he sits down in the chair in front of Sharon's desk.

"Nothing's going on; it was a one time thing."

"Sharon, I know you care for Rusty as your son. And I know that you would protect him from anything. Is there something going on that you haven't told Rusty about? Is your cancer worse than you previously thought it was?"

"Of course not," Sharon says. "It's just that, they upped my dosage of chemo that I'm getting so the symptoms are showing a lot more. That's all. That's why I needed Rusty's help last night and that's why my emotions are all over the place."

Provenza stands up from his chair and walks around to the other side of the desk. Sharon curiously stands up as well and is surprised when Provenza hugs her. "Then I think you need a hug from a friend," Provenza murmurs next to her ear.

He releases her and she whispers, "Thank you."

Provenza makes his way out of her office and goes back to work, leaving Sharon with a smile on her face.

By the end of the day, Sharon receives a call telling her that the letter writer case is closed up and that the man that she shot was indeed the suspected letter writer. They had figured out his address and found a substantial amount of evidence in Sharon's favor. She would be receiving her gun the next day. Sharon walks out of her office, gets Rusty, and they go home for the night.

**Once again, reviews are loved!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, here's the next chapter. To all of my guests who are reviewing, thank you so much. Also, I hope all of you **_**Battlestar Galactica **_**fans enjoy this chapter. Enjoy!**

About three days later, Rusty hears a loud bang and then hears Sharon gasp. He runs into her bathroom and sees that she has fallen. He notices her trying to stand and then sees her wince in pain.

She startles once she realizes that he is watching her. "Oh, Rusty. I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy and then fell. I'm fine," she rambles off.

"Sharon, you are not fine. You haven't been fine for the past two weeks. You've been worse lately. What's going on?" Rusty helps her up and lets her lean on him, noticing that she is keeping her weight off her left foot. He helps her lay down on her bed and then sits down beside her.

"I may have just twisted my left ankle," Sharon says in order to stall. She doesn't want to have to tell Rusty about this, not when something good has just happened to them. She knows that he will take it worse than it is. But she also knows that her symptoms have been showing up a lot more frequently now. "Rusty, my treatment dosage has been increased. That's why my symptoms have been a lot worse and why they've been showing up a lot more frequently."

"Oh… Does this mean that your cancer is a lot worse that you thought?" Rusty says cautiously, not looking at Sharon.

"No, of course not, Rusty. It just means… It just means that the dosage that I was on was not working as well as they had hoped, so they increased it. That's all it means. I promise."

"Are you lying to me, Sharon?"

"Rusty, have I ever lied to you?" Sharon says and squeezes his arm.

"Yes, you didn't tell me that you had cancer until I asked," Rusty says, obviously still slightly bitter about that.

"Is that what this is about?" Sharon asks, pulling Rusty to her for a hug. "Rusty, I didn't want to tell you that right then because I knew you would worry. I knew you would be upset and I didn't want you to have to care for me when you shouldn't have to. But Rusty, I promise that I will not die. I just survived threats against my life and a murderer coming in to our home. I am not going to die from cancer."

Rusty catches the part where she says that the threats were against her life. He should've known that he was threatening to kill her.

"Rusty, I know you don't think that someone could love you, but I do. I love you, Rusty. You are my son. And you always will be my son. This is your home too." She tries to sit up and tuck her legs underneath her so she can better hug Rusty, but instead she cries out in pain.

"Sharon, do you want me to call, Bill? He could come over and help you out as a friend."

"Sure," she says as she winces. She lies back down and stretches her legs out, propping up her left foot on a pillow.

Rusty is concerned when she doesn't object. He walks out of Sharon's room and finds the business card with Bill's cell phone number on it. He picks up the phone off of its holder and dials the number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Rusty Beck, Sharon Raydor's foster son."

"Oh, hello. What can I do for you?"

"Sharon was wondering if you could come over as a friend, as well as a doctor. She twisted her ankle earlier but she also needs your support as a friend."

"Of course. I'll be on my way in about ten minutes. What is your address?"

Rusty gives him their address and then hangs up the phone. He calls into Sharon's bedroom, "He'll be here soon. And Sharon, I know this is my home."

"Thank you. Could you please bring me a cold pack?" Her voice not betraying her emotion that she feels from what Rusty just said.

"Yep." Rusty gets a cold pack from the freezer and then takes it in to Sharon, placing it over her ankle. He looks up at her and sees her with her glasses perched on her nose reading a book. He goes into the living room and turns on the TV. He switches it to the Sci-Fi channel and sees reruns of _Battlestar Galactica_ on. Before he knows it, he is lost in the show.

About twenty five minutes later, there is a knock on the door. Rusty startles from the sudden sound and then stands up from the couch. He opens the door and sees Bill standing just outside of it.

"Hi, come on in."

Bill walks in and then says, "Hi Rusty. How are you?"

"I'm good, just watching _Battlestar Galactica_," Rusty says as he closes the door. "You know, you look a lot like the Admiral."

"Thanks. I've been told that many times. Where's Sharon?" Bill says kindly.

"She's in her bedroom. Reading. It's just down the hall."

"Thank you. I'll let you get back to _Battlestar Galactica_."

Rusty chuckles and then says, "Thanks." He walks back over to the couch and plops down in front of the TV as Bill walks down the hall.

He notices the open door as he begins to make his way down the hall. He knocks on the side of the door before he walks in, knowing that he is just a guest.

Sharon looks up from her book and says, "Oh, hello Bill. Thanks for coming. Come on in."

"Hi Sharon," Bill says as he walks into her bedroom, taking note of her foot propped up on a pillow. He sits down on the side of her bed and then looks at her for permission. She nods her head in approval. He takes the cold pack off of her foot and then tenderly picks her left foot up. Her carefully looks it over and then rubs her ankle, happening to give her a foot massage at the same time. Suddenly he realizes what he is doing and he clears his throat, carefully placing her foot back down on the pillow. "Yep, it looks like you sprained your ankle. Just stay off of it for a couple of days and it'll get better. Do you have an ace wrap anywhere?"

"Yes, in the bottom, right hand drawer in my bathroom."

Bill stands up and gets the ace wrap. While in the bathroom, he notices that there is a small chunk of hair on the counter. He walks back out in the bedroom and once again sits down on the side of the bed. He carefully supports Sharon's foot on his leg while he wraps it up. Once he is done wrapping it, he places it back on the pillow and places the cold pack back on it. "Well, that's done. Is there something that you wanted to talk about?"

Sharon places her book on the bedside table and then says, "Like what?"

"Like what's going on inside of that head of yours?" Bill says as he smiles.

Sharon's expression falls serious and she says, "I need to know, am I going to lose all of my hair?"

So this is why she's upset. "Sharon, I don't think so. Some people lose all of their hair and some people don't. I think you're going to be one of the lucky ones that don't lose all of their hair. I don't think that you're going to have to even think about getting a wig. I can barely tell that your hair is thinning. It's still as beautiful as it always is…" Bill trails off, shocked that he said that out loud. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out."

Sharon smiles and says, "Its fine. And thank you."

They both stop talking, afraid to say something that will admit their feelings for each other. Suddenly, without thinking, Bill leans over and presses a soft kiss on Sharon's lips. Sharon's eyes flutter closed. Bill leans away as soon as it is finished and says, "I should be going."

Sharon looks up at him and says with a smile, "Thank you for coming by. I'll talk to you later."

Bill nods at her and then leaves her bedroom. He says good-bye to Rusty and then heads out. Sharon picks up her book, still with a smile of her face, and begins to read.

**As always, reviews are loved!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it! To all of my reviewers, thank you so much for reviewing.**

After all this time, Sharon realizes that she still hasn't told her two biological children about her cancer. Too busy with finding the letter writer and caring for Rusty, she has forgotten all about her kids. For the past two weeks she hasn't even called them. Her children know that she can get really busy at work occasionally and not call them for awhile and they understand that, but she still feels bad for not calling them.

Originally, she hadn't told them about her cancer for the same reason she didn't tell Rusty about her cancer, she didn't want them to have to worry about her. She didn't want then to have to care for her and she didn't want them to try and make her stop working for awhile. She wanted to keep her full independence and so she didn't tell anyone. Now, she realizes that people need to know, especially her children.

She comes home at about six one night from work, saying hi to Rusty as she passes by his room and seeing that he is working on homework. She peeks in and says, "I'll make dinner later, I'm going lie down for a little bit though."

"Alright," Rusty says cautiously. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to lie down for a bit."

"Alright."

Sharon walks out of his room and in to hers. She changes into her yoga pants and then pulls on a sweater. She lies down on her bed, moaning because it feels good to get off her ankle, and pulls the afghan over her that is lying on the end of the bed. She gets comfortable, knowing that these are going to be two long conversations with her children, and pulls out her phone. She knows that the conversation with her daughter is going to be the longest so she dials her son's phone number first and waits for him to pick up.

"Hi Mom."

"Hi Ricky. I'm sorry it's been so long since I've called."

"It's fine. I know how busy you can get."

"So, how have you been?"

"I've been good. Keeping busy at work. Still no girlfriend."

Sharon chuckles and says, "Well, that's good. You're still my little boy."

"Mom, I'm 29. Anyway, what's up? You sound like you have something on your mind."

"Ricky, there's something I need to tell you. I should've told you a long time ago."

"Mom, what's wrong?" Ricky hears the hesitance in her voice.

"Ricky, I have breast cancer." There is a long silence after she says this. After a minute or two she says, "Ricky, you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," he says shakily. "How long have you known?"

"A couple of months," Sharon says with a sigh.

"Have you told Katie?"

Sharon knows that this is his way of dealing with things, not talking about it. "No, I'm going to after I'm done talking with you."

"Well, then you better call her. I love you. Bye Mom."

"Ricky, wait…" Sharon says but then realizes that he has already hung up. She sighs and tears come to her eyes. This next call is the call that she doesn't want to make. She doesn't want to have to tell her daughter.

As Rusty goes out to get a drink of water, he catches the last part of Sharon's conversation and realizes that she is talking to her son. He gets his water and then goes back into his room, not wanting to hear anymore.

Sharon takes a deep breath and then dials her daughter's number. She holds the afghan close to her, praying that this won't end as badly as she thinks it will.

"Hi Mom. How are you doing?"

"Hey Katie bug. That's my line."

Katie chuckles and remembers how their conversations always start. "Well, if you must know, I am keeping busy with ballet. We are having practices all the time because we are working on an intricate show. It is by far my favorite show that I have been in so far. I'm excited!"

"I can hear that," Sharon says.

"So, what's been going on with you? You haven't called in awhile. Did you get busy at work?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. We caught a huge case a couple of weeks ago and it was tough to close. So yes to answer your question, I've been busy at work." Sharon is silent for a moment, not sure how to bring up the topic.

"Mom?" Katie says on the other end of the line. She knows that something is wrong when her mom stops talking. "Everything okay?"

"Katie, there's something I need to tell you. I should've told you a long time ago."

"Mom, what's wrong?" Her throat constricts when she thinks of everything that could be wrong. "Did something happen to Grandma?"

"No, honey… Katie, I have breast cancer." Sharon hears a loud gasp come from the other end of the line.

"What?" Katie says in shock.

"I found out a couple months ago and I didn't want to tell you two."

"Why not?" Over the phone, Sharon can hear the beginning of tears.

"Because I didn't want you to have to worry about me. You're my children, that's not your job. As your mother I'm supposed to take care of you, not the other way around."

"But Mom, are you… are you going to… ummmm… are you going to die?"

"Katie bug, of course I'm not going to die. I don't have a lot of strength right now but I'm still working and the treatment is working so far. Your mom is not going to die from cancer. I promise I will be here for a long time." Sharon can hear her daughter taking in quick breaths while crying. "Oh, honey…"

"Mom, I wish I was with you right now," Katie cries into the phone.

This brings tears to Sharon's eyes and she quickly tries to blink them away, but it doesn't work. Tears are suddenly making their way down her cheeks. "I wish you were too. Katie bug, know that I love you."

"Don't say that. It sounds like you're saying good-bye."

Sharon smiles through her tears and says, "Just bye for now. I'll talk to you tomorrow, I promise. I love you, honey."

"I love you too, Mom. Good night."

"Good night." Sharon ends the call and then cradles her phone against her chest, letting her tears run freely down her cheeks.

The next thing she hears is someone knocking on her bedroom door. She opens her eyes just as Rusty peeks in. "I made dinner and it's ready. Come on out." He closes the door and makes his way back out to the kitchen.

Sharon stands up from her bed tenderly, her ankle still sore, and makes her way into the bathroom, placing her phone on the bedside table. She looks in the mirror and notices the redness around her eyes and the paleness of her skin. She turns on the water facet, splashes water on her face, and then makes her way slowly out to the kitchen. She sits down in front of the table as Rusty brings dinner over, hoping he doesn't see that she had been crying. She looks into the pan as he is putting it on the table and realizes that it is an omelet. "Thank you for cooking dinner, Rusty," she says, her voice almost shaky.

They eat their dinner in silence and then Rusty picks up all the dishes. He notices that as he is picking them up Sharon stays sitting at the table. "Sharon, do you want to watch a movie or something?"

Sharon looks up at him and says distantly, "Sure."

She stands up from the table and makes her way over to the couch. As she sits down, Rusty opens the cabinet with all the DVDs. She puts her feet up on the coffee table and relaxes into the couch. She moves her body down so she can rest her head on the back of the couch.

"Foreign, foreign, foreign," Rusty says as he rifles though the movies. "Oh, here's something good." He holds up Star Trek and says, "I didn't know you liked Star Trek."

"Well, technically I have it for when my children visit. But, there is another side to me than just foreign movies," she says as she smiles at Rusty.

He pops the disc into the DVD player and then sits down on the couch next to Sharon. He clicks the Menu button on the remote and then presses play. He stands up to turn the lights off and then sits back down.

As George Kirk runs the U.S.S. Enterprise into the enemy, Rusty lies out on the couch. He tries not to stretch against Sharon, but the couch isn't big so he ends up hitting her.

"Rusty, you can lay your legs over me if you want."

Rusty hesitates because he doesn't feel comfortable doing that, but he knows he would be more comfortable if he wasn't so crunched up. He lays his legs over Sharon's lap and then begins to watch the movie. Sharon pulls a blanket over her and Rusty so they can stay warm.

Sharon is the first to fall asleep. It is about the middle of the movie when her eyes close. She has her feet up on the coffee table and her head is leaning against the back of the couch. Her hands are resting on the blanket that is covering Rusty's legs. He follows soon after, his legs still resting on Sharon's lap. His last thought is of seeing Sharon's red, puffy eyes before dinner.

**As always, reviews are appreciated!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Well, here is the next chapter. It is written by one of my friends because we thought it might be fun to start writing together. Hope you all enjoy it! Just letting you know, I will be writing the next chapter. **

The next morning, Sharon and Rusty are startled out of their sleep by the doorbell. Neither of them had woken up that night to make their way to their beds, so their bodies are aching from the rather uncomfortable sleeping positions. The doorbell rings again. Rusty, being Rusty, offers to answer the door so Sharon has more time to regain some strength. When he opens the door, he sees a distressed young woman, eyes swollen and red, probably from crying a lot. It is Katie, Sharon's daughter, he recognizes her from the pictures in Sharon's bedroom.

She looks at Rusty, confused for a second about who he is and what he is doing here, and then rushes past him into the apartment looking for her mother, who has just gotten up from the couch and is now standing in the middle of the living room.

"Mom!" Katie exclaims as she drops her bags and rushes to give her a long embrace, almost knocking her mom over from the impact. She starts sobbing again against her mother's shoulder.

"Katie bug, what are you doing here?" Sharon asks, stunned from the unexpected arrival of her daughter.

"I took the first flight I could get. After we finished talking on the phone last night, I called my dance instructor and told him I had to leave town for a while. I just had to see you and be with you. You can't go through this all on your own."

Rusty, who was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Katie, now feels a burst of anger and jealousy go through him. Sharon must see it because she quickly moves out of Katie's arms and says, "Oh Katie bug, I'm not alone. Rusty has been an incredible support for me over the past few weeks. Come come, I want to properly introduce you two."

After wiping Katie's tears off of her cheeks, Sharon takes her hand and leads her back to the couch while she motions Rusty to sit with them. All three are sitting down, Sharon and Katie on the couch and Rusty next to them on the armchair.

"Katie, honey, this is Rusty Beck, my foster son. Rusty, this is my beautiful and talented daughter Katherine, but we all call her Katie."

"It is so nice to finally meet you, Rusty. I have heard all about you," Katie says, now with a little smile on her face.

"Yeah, I have heard all about you too," Rusty says rather matter-of-factly. Then there is a short, awkward silence between them.

Sharon finally breaks the silence by saying, "Oh, I wish you two had met under better circumstances. I really wanted this to be a happy moment. Well, luckily today is Sunday and Lieutenant Provenza hasn't called me into the office yet, so let's go out and do something fun. But first we should get some breakfast, what do you think?"

"That sounds like a great idea, Mom. I am starving!"

"Are you sure you feel up to it, Sharon?" Rusty asks worriedly.

"Oh Rusty, I will be fine," Sharon reassures him, "Don't worry!" She smiles at him and then announces, "Alright everyone, get ready to go. Katie bug, you probably want to freshen up a bit and change. Come with me. The guest room belongs to Rusty now."

Katie is watching the interaction between her mother and Rusty. She sees the way she smiles at him. Suddenly she remembers all the times her mother has told her about Rusty, remembers how proud and happy she sounded every time. Now it is Katie's turn to feel a sudden burst of jealousy rising within her, but she tries not to let anyone see it. She can feel someone taking her hand, pulling her out of her deep thoughts. It is Sharon, gently pulling her towards the bedroom.

Thirty minutes later, everyone is ready to go. Rusty has been waiting in the living room for the past ten minutes, listening to the giggles and laughter coming from Sharon's bedroom. It bothered him and he didn't know why. He could feel the burst of jealousy rising up inside of him again, but he tried to suppress it.

They are driving to Sharon's favorite place in Pacific Palisades, a nice little restaurant called _Café Vida_, which has delicious and healthy food, just the way Sharon likes it. Rusty is having the 'Morning Wrap', Katie the 'Balance Breakfast Bowl', and Sharon the 'Egg White Veggie Scramble'. Throughout their breakfast, there is this awkward silence again Sharon had hoped to avoid.

Once they are finished with breakfast, they decide to go to the _Westside Pavilion_ mall. Sharon needs some new clothes since she has lost a fair amount of weight since she started with chemotherapy, and she had promised Rusty a new computer game. Together, they are strolling through the mall for a while until they decide to break up. Sharon knows that Rusty is probably not too keen about shopping with two women and that he would rather spend some time in the Arcade.

"Alright, Rusty, here is $50 for the new video game I promised you and an extra $20 for the Arcade. We will meet again right here by the escalator in two hours. Sound good?"

"Yeah, thank you, Sharon! And I guess I know how to kill two hours in the Arcade," he says, smirking. Sharon is happy to finally see a smile on his face for the first time today.

"You got your phone with you, right? In case something unexpected happens."

"I sure do," Rusty confirms. "But let's just hope nothing unexpected is going to happen."

Finally, a real smile on Rusty's face lifting Sharon's mood even more. Then they part into different directions.

One hour later, Rusty's phone is ringing. It is Sharon's number so he quickly picks up the phone. "Hey Sharon, is everything alright?"

"Rusty, hey, it's Katie. Mom isn't feeling all too well. She says she feels dizzy and nauseous so I am taking her home, but you should stay and enjoy your time at the Arcade."

"Ah no, it's ok, I can come home with you now. Where should I meet you? Same location we parted or do you need me to help you walk her to the car?"

"No no, we'll be fine, Rusty. I am fully able to take care of her myself. I insist that you stay and have a good time at the Arcade. Do you have enough money for the bus home?"

There it is again, that awkward silence. Rusty can feel another burst of anger and jealousy rise within him. He feels unwanted, although he is sure that this is not what Katie intended for him to feel. She surely means well.

"Rusty? Are you there?" Katie asks concerned.

He snaps out of his deep thoughts. "Oh sorry, uh, yeah, no worries, I am all covered. Are you sure you don't want me to come and help?"

"Positive! You have a good time and I will see you later at home. Bye!" She hangs up.

_She means well, I am certain of it. I mean, she is Sharon's daughter after all. She raised her well. But I just can't shake this feeling and I don't know what it is. Anger? Jealousy? Worry? Fear?_

Rusty's feelings are all over the place. He tries to focus on his game for a little longer but then gives up. It's no use. He is worried about Sharon. He feels unwanted by Katie. He is afraid he is suddenly not needed any more. Panic starts to spread through him. He feels like he is experiencing déjà-vu. This has happened to him before. He has to sit down, to calm himself down as he starts to feel tears welling up in his eyes.

_At first there was just mom and me, boyfriends coming and going. No one we could really rely on to care for us, love us. I loved my mom, unconditionally. I cared for her, even though I was the child, but she was the one who was sick, she was the one who needed help. I missed a lot of school to stay home with her and make sure she was alright. And then this guy came along. Suddenly he was the man of the house, providing her with more drugs and alcohol; beating me every other day when I tried to hide the bottles and drugs from my mom to protect her. All those years that I loved her and took care of her, and as a thank you she abandoned me, left me behind in a zoo to please the guy she depended so much upon. What followed was months filled with the fear of whether I could survive on my own or not. I had to survive, even if it meant that I had to do all those horrible things. And during all of this, when I should have worried most about myself, who I worried about most, was my mom. Was she alright? Was she alive?_

_Then Sharon came into my life, and she took me into her home, into her life, and eventually into her heart. I didn't like her at first, which I clearly showed her, but she never once stopped caring for me. She became everything my mom should have been: the person who loves you, cares for you, supports you and keeps you safe! And in return, I love her, care for her, support her, and kept her safe when this maniac of a letter writer tried to shoot her. Sharon is nothing like my mom! I feel safe with her and I believe in her promise that she will never leave me alone again, that she loves me and always will._

_So why am I feeling so agitated since Katie arrived? She is a nice person and maybe the sister I never had but secretly wanted. She was just being nice when she wanted me to have fun…_

Rusty suddenly snaps out of his thoughts. Someone had bumped into him. It was two kids playing _tag_. He looks at his watch, eyes widening when he realizes that two hours had passed. It is time to take the bus back home, but all this thinking and remembering has made him hungry, so he decides to get some pizza first.

Two hours later, Rusty finally arrives back home. He is tired but decides to check in on Sharon before he goes to bed. He sees a light coming from under her bedroom door and hears Sharon and Katie talk. He gently knocks on the door.

"Come in!" Sharon calls from inside her bedroom and Rusty enters.

"Hi, I just got home and wanted to check on you before I am off to bed. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, thank you, Rusty," Sharon says, her voice still a little frail. "I am so sorry the day didn't go as planned. I really wanted to spend the day with the both of you together."

"Its ok mom, I am sure Rusty understands."

"Yeah, don't worry, Sharon! I'm glad you're feeling better," Rusty says as he walks out of the bedroom again. "Oh, uhm, your next appointment is tomorrow at 9am, isn't it?"

Just when Sharon wants to reply, Katie cuts in, "Yes it is, Rusty, but there is no need for you to miss any of your classes. I am here now, so I will go with her to the appointment. Good night!" She has a warm smile on her lips. Nevertheless, Rusty can't help but feel somewhat taken aback. He had always accompanied Sharon to her appointments over these last couple of weeks. He feels pushed away, again. He looks at Sharon, hoping she will tell him that he could still come along, not breaking the routine they had established.

"Rusty, Katie is right, as long as she is here she can take care of me and you can focus on your school. It will be good for you to take a little break from worrying," Sharon says with an assuring smile. "Good night, honey!"

"Yeah, maybe. I don't know! I will never stop worrying about you while you are sick though, because I love you. Good night!"

With that statement, Rusty leaves Sharon's bedroom and walks over to his own, getting ready for bed. Even though he is extremely tired, he can't sleep. He is tossing and turning for hours, trying to go to sleep.

**Hope you all enjoyed it! Once again, reviews are appreciated!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Here's the next chapter. Just letting you all know, one of my friends and I are trying something a little different, we are planning on continuing this story together. I am going to write a chapter and then she is going to write the next chapter, and so on. For all who are wondering, she is the same person who wrote Chapter 13. I hope you enjoy our little fun and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

The next morning, Sharon wakes up and watches her daughter sleep out of the corner of her eye. It's been a little over a year since the last time her daughter stayed with her and even then it's different because Rusty wasn't there at the time. She feels bad for Rusty, Katie coming over suddenly and taking over. She knows that Katie is just like her, taking control wherever she is; she's been that way since she was little. But she knows that Rusty needs a break from worrying about her and he needs to focus on school while Katie is here. Rusty got re-enrolled in school last week and today is his first day back.

Sharon leans over and kisses her daughter on the forehead softly and then gets out of bed. She slides on her slippers and then makes her way out of her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. She knocks on Rusty's door and says, "Time to get up, Rusty."

"Alright," he mumbles in his sleep.

Sharon walks out to the kitchen and then starts making breakfast. She cooks a pot of oatmeal and then tosses a handful of blueberries in. After she pours the oatmeal in three bowls, she walks back over into the hallway and calls out, "Katie… Rusty… Breakfast…"

Katie and Rusty walk out of the bedrooms at the same time and then they eat breakfast in silence. Sharon can feel the tension radiating between them. Once they finish breakfast, Sharon says, "Alright, Rusty, you need to leave in a little bit."

"I know," Rusty says. After he puts his dishes away, he goes into his bedroom and changes, getting ready for school.

Katie cleans up her and Sharon's dishes and then Sharon stands up from the table. "So, are you sure you want to go to my appointment with me?"

"Of course, Mom."

"Alright," Sharon says hesitantly.

Rusty walks out of his bathroom quickly and then picks up his backpack as well as the keys to the extra car. "Alright, I'm leaving. Bye, Sharon."

"Bye, Rusty," Sharon says as she walks over and gives him a hug, noticing how he tenses up. "Have a good day at school."

Rusty steps out of her embrace and dejectedly says, "Yeah." He walks out of the condo and closes the door behind him. As he drives to school, he already knows that he won't be able to pay attention. He is just going to worry about Sharon.

Back at the condo, Sharon locks the door behind Rusty and then stares at it, worried about Rusty's sudden change in his attitude towards her. She senses that he is feeling left out and angry, but she hopes it's not too bad. She walks back over to the kitchen and says to Katie, "Well, I don't have to go into work today unless they call me and my appointment is at nine. So until then, we need to get ready. I'm going to go hop in the shower. If you're going to take one, I'll get a towel down for you. You'll have to take one in the guest bathroom though."

"Yeah, I'm going to take a shower. I can get a towel. Where are they?"

"They are in the closet in the bathroom, top shelf."

"Alright."

The two of them go their separate ways to finish their morning routines. As it nears 8:30, Sharon finishes her make-up, trying to cover the paleness of her face, and then walks out of the bathroom. She has started to not look at herself in the mirror because she doesn't like what she sees. She has lost too much weight, her face is pale, her usual brightness is gone, and her hair is thinning. As she walks out of her bedroom she calls to Katie, "Katie bug, time to go."

Katie walks out of the bathroom and then continues to the door.

Sharon gets her purse and then they walk out of the condo. Sharon locks the door and they continue out to the car.

Sharon unlocks the door and Katie says, "Mom, should you really be driving?"

"Katie, I'm fine," Sharon says as she gets in the driver's side of the car. Katie sighs and then climbs in.

They arrive at the hospital with ease. They both get out of the car and as they are walking towards the front entrance of the treatment center, Katie nervously sighs. Sharon looks over at her and then grabs her hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Don't worry, Katie. I'm a pro at this now."

Katie sadly chuckles and then says, "Stop trying to make me feel better."

"It's my job," Sharon says as they enter the building. She signs in and then they sit down in the chairs, waiting for Sharon to be called.

Sharon can't help but think that even though Rusty and Katie aren't comfortable with each other, they sure do act like one another. They both treat her as if she is going to break and they are both nervous wrecks.

Once Sharon is called to the back, they are led down the hallway and into a room near the back. Her treatment is started and once the nurse leaves the room, Katie asks, "Does it hurt?"

Sharon looks up at her and says, "No, it just feels uncomfortable. It's like I can feel the poison running into my arm. I can feel it so much that it makes me sick. Usually, one of my friends visits to take my mind off of it."

Just then, a familiar face enters the room. He carries the same book that he always does, _Searider Falcon_.

"Hello Sharon," the man says.

"Oh, Bill, what a surprise. You remember my daughter, Katherine?" Sharon says in a cheerful tone.

"Of course I do. She looks just like her gorgeous mother."

"Oh, I remember you. You were our family doctor," Katie says in surprise.

"And I still am for your mom and Rusty. How are you?"

"I'm doing well. I'm still in ballet."

"I heard that from your mom. She's very proud of you." Bill looks over at Sharon and sees her smiling shyly, glad that he is taking her mind off of the nausea for now. "I brought our book, I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is," Sharon says. They had upped her dosage again this week so she knows that she will need something to really take her mind off of it. Although, she is more worried about what her symptoms are going to be like later.

Bill sits down in a chair and starts to read to her, picking up where they left off.

Katie notices the way they look at each other and their obvious flirtation towards each other. She sees the smiles that they give each other. She realizes that without a doubt her mom is falling for their family doctor, and she also realizes that she is okay with that. While on the subject of family, she thinks of Rusty. She knows that she owes him an apology. The way she treated him yesterday was uncalled for and something that she knows her mom didn't approve of. She's used to taking over when she comes home and so she just fell into her normal routine, not even stopping to think about Rusty. She looks over at her mom and thinks back to how motherly she cares for him and the way that she talks about him on the phone. In fact, she is surprised that her mom hasn't adopted him yet.

A sudden movement startles her from her deep thoughts. She looks at her watch and realizes that it's been almost two hours. She looks up and sees Bill kissing her mom softly on the lips. Her mom is asleep and once he backs away she asks him quietly, "Do you have feelings for her?"

"I've always had feelings for your mom."

"Well, I approve," Katie says with a smile.

Bill nods his head at her and then says, "Thank you. Well, I'm going to leave."

"Alright. Bye, Bill."

Bill stands up from the chair and then leaves the room quietly.

Katie stares at her mom after Bill leaves, thinking of her.

About ten minutes later, a nurse comes in and wakes Sharon, taking the needle out. "Alright Sharon, you're done for the day."

"Thank you," Sharon says tenderly, taking deep breaths trying to calm the nausea.

"You had a pretty high dosage today so I suggest that you take it easy for the rest of the day. In fact, I can see you already feeling sick so why don't you just stay here for ten minutes."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Sharon says and then lies back, taking deep breaths. Every time she sits up she gets dizzy and feels like she is going to vomit.

The nurse leaves the room and Katie says, "Mom, are you alright?"

"No, I'm not. Just give me a couple of minutes," Sharon states with her eyes closed. She feels her daughter lay her hand down on the bed. Sharon moves her hand over and grasps Katie's hand in hers. She tries to not think about it, but when she succeeds her mind goes back to Rusty's upset face this morning and she feels her throat tighten. She takes a deep breath and still with her eyes closed she says, "Katie, I did not approve of the way you treated Rusty."

Katie closes her eyes for a moment and then says, "I know, Mom. And I'm sorry. I guess I was jealous because he knew before me and he's been able to take care of you. I can see the way you look at him, how much love you have for him, and I miss that. I miss you, Mom." She is glad that her mom's eyes are closed so she doesn't have to face her disappointed look.

"I've missed you too, Katie bug. But that doesn't make it right." She opens her eyes and gives Katie her disappointed look.

Katie looks down at the floor and says, "I know. I'll talk to him later."

Sharon nods her head slowly and then says, "Alright, I'm as ready as I'll ever be." She slowly sits up and then dangles on the side of the bed. She is dizzy, incredibly nauseous, and has a massive headache.

Katie stands up and grabs her mom's purse. "Do you need help, Mom?"

"Yeah, I'm going to need help. It's never been this bad before." She slowly pushes herself off of the bed and then grabs a hold of her daughter's arm.

Katie helps her slowly walk out to the car and then she reaches inside of her mom's purse to fish out the keys. "I'm driving this time," she says as she unlocks the car. She helps Sharon get in and then she walks around to the driver's side. She starts the car and then drives them back home.

Once they get back to the condo, Katie helps Sharon into her bedroom. She helps her change into yoga pants and lie down in bed. As Katie is leaving the room she asks, "Do you need anything?"

"Can you get me a washcloth for my forehead?" she says with her eyes tightly closed.

"Sure." Katie leaves the room and then comes back in with a wet washcloth. She lays it on her mom's forehead and then leaves the room to go and make some lunch for herself.

As she finishes up with lunch, she puts her dishes in the dishwasher. She is about to sit down on the couch when she hears her mom throwing up. She races into her mom's bedroom and finds her kneeling on the floor in front of the toilet. Her hair is down so she quickly clips it up and then sits down behind her mom. She begins to gently rub her back in circles, doing what her mom used to do when they were sick as children. They stay like that for about twenty minutes and then Katie helps her up. She flushes the toilet as Sharon washes her hands.

Katie helps her into her bed and then climbs in on the other side. She cuddles into her mom's side.

"Katie bug, you shouldn't have to see me like that," Sharon says quietly.

"I know, but I want to take care of you."

Sharon places a kiss on Katie's forehead and then they both fall asleep.

Rusty arrives at the condo around three and walks into the hallway. It is completely silent which makes him wonder. As he nears Sharon's bedroom, he opens the door quietly and peeks in. He sees Sharon and Katie cuddled up together asleep. He closes the door as his eyes tear up. He is being replaced and abandoned once again. He walks into his room and quickly closes his door. Dropping his backpack onto the floor, he lies down on his bed and cries.

Sharon hears him close the door as he backs out of her room. Her eyes flutter open as she hears Rusty lie down on his bed and start to cry. At first, it's so quiet that she's not sure if it is crying, but then she can make out the definite signs of crying.

She tries not to wake Katie as she extracts her arms out from under her, but she ends up waking her.

"Are you okay, Mom?"

"I'm fine, honey. I just need to help Rusty." She tries to push herself off of the bed but she doesn't have enough strength.

"Mom, you need to stay in bed," Katie says, alarmed.

"Katie, I may not be strong enough but as your mother you still have to listen to me. Now, as his mother, I need to do this." She tries once again to push herself off from the bed but again she doesn't have enough strength. Tears fill her eyes as she says, "But it seems as though I'm going to need a little help."

Katie gives up and stands up from her side of the bed. She then walks around to the other side, adding her strength to her mom's determination to get up. She helps her slowly walk over to Rusty's door.

Sharon tries to calm the dizziness and the nausea as her daughter helps her walk to Rusty's door. "Alright, I'm okay," Sharon says when they get to the door, signaling for Katie to leave.

Katie leaves her mom and then goes out to the living room, picking up a book to read.

Sharon leans her head against the door and takes a deep breath, the little energy she has quickly waning. She opens the door and closes it quietly behind her. As she slowly walks over to the other side of his bed, she keeps her hand holding onto something the entire time. She tenderly lies down on the bed beside Rusty, glad it isn't the floor this time, and wraps her arms around him, pulling him close to her.

He rests his head underneath her chin and cries into her chest, shaking both of them.

"Oh, Rusty…" she murmurs, "I'm sorry." She tightens her arms around him as he cries.

"I feel… like you're… abandoning me…" he says as he cries.

"No, Rusty, I'm not. I'm sorry," Sharon says, "I'm so sorry." She feels tears begin to fill her eyes and she knows that this is all her fault. If only she had stopped Katie from taking control? If only she had tried to make Katie understand? Her tears begin to fall down her face and mix with Rusty's. "I love all of my children equally. And I promise," Sharon says shakily, "I promise that I will never abandon you. You will always be my son." She places a kiss on the top of Rusty's head and keeps him close to her and he continues to cry against her.

As the tears clear away, Sharon gives him a tight squeeze. She feels emotionally drained but physically better. She lets go of him and then slowly pushes herself up from the bed.

As she makes her way to the door, Rusty faces her and takes a deep breath. "Mom?"

Sharon turns around in surprise with a teary smile on her face.

"Thank you."

Sharon quickly nods as tears begin to once again fall down her cheeks, but for a different reason, and then she leaves his room. She walks out into the living room and sits down on the couch beside her daughter. She looks over at her and says, "I think you need to go talk to Rusty."

Katie sighs heavily but then puts the book down. She stands up and walks over to Rusty's room. She knocks on his door and after receiving a come in, she walks in. She sits down on the side of the bed and then says, "Hi Rusty."

He looks up at her, expecting her to continue.

"I'm sorry for everything that I did these last two days. I know I came unexpectedly, but I just wanted to be here for mom. I guess when I found out that you were caring for her and had known for awhile, it made me jealous. I was always a mommy's girl and I always took care of her. I'm sorry that I made you feel left out and abandoned. I didn't even realize I was doing that and I'm truly sorry. Mom is an amazing person and you must also be great since she took you in and has stuck with you. Whenever she would talk with me over the phone this past year, she would always mention you and she would sound happier when talking about you. I know she loves you and I'm sorry for making you feel that way."

"Thank you for saying that, Katie. I did feel left out. But I was also slightly jealous because it was like she didn't need me anymore. Once you got here, I wasn't needed."

"Rusty, my mom will always need you. I'm not here most of the time and even when I am here she still needs you. You mean the world to her. She loves you a lot."

"Thank you for the apology, Katie."

Katie hums in the affirmative, just like her mom, and then leaves the room. She goes out to the living room and sits down on the couch beside her mom.

"How did it go?"

"We're okay now. We understand each other."

"Good," Sharon says and then wraps her arms around Katie.

Later that day, Rusty comes out of his room and they all watch movies together. Katie and Rusty sitting on either side of Sharon and snuggling into her sides.

**Hope you liked it! Reviews are appreciated!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Well, here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it!**

The next couple of days were passing quickly and smoothly. Since Katie and Rusty had addressed their feelings and Katie had apologized, the atmosphere in the Raydor family home had been much more pleasant. Rusty was able to focus more on school again and Katie took care of her mom, the way she always used too. But, they also made sure that they all spent a lot of quality family time together. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Sharon still didn't have her strength back and felt nauseous a lot, so they stayed home and played board games and watched movies. On Thursday, Sharon felt slightly better, so they decided to take a little walk through the park near Sharon's apartment complex.

When Rusty gets home from school on Friday afternoon, he is surprised to find the apartment empty. Sharon and Katie are supposed to be home, so naturally, he starts worrying and takes out his phone to call Sharon. In that same moment, the front door is being unlocked and opened, so Rusty puts the phone away. He sees Katie enter the apartment, but not Sharon. She smiles at him.

"Oh Rusty, you are already home." She looks at her watch. "Oh goodness, no wonder, it's already 4pm. Time has just flown by apparently."

Rusty looks at her, confused. "Where is Sharon? Is everything alright?" he asks worriedly.

"Oh, I am sorry, yes yes, she is fine. She is with Bill."

"Bill? You mean her doctor?"

"Yeah, I needed someone I trust to take care of mom for the night, so she is not alone, and Bill seemed like the logical choice."

Rusty gives her a questioning look.

"Oh come on, Rusty! You have seen the two together. They clearly have feelings for one another. You have been with her to her appointments and seen and heard the way he is reading and talking to her." A teasing smile is showing on her lips.

"Uhm, yeah, I guess. I just didn't think Sharon was interested in a romantic relationship at the moment, you know, while she is going through all of this."

"Well, he makes her feel better and she has another good reason not to give up hope. I have known Bill pretty much my entire life because he has been our family doctor for forever. I really think he is good for her, especially now. But that's not the reason why I asked Bill to have an eye on her tonight. Besides mom needing to get out of her familiar surroundings for a while and unwind, I asked Bill for help because I will be busy, and so will you."

Rusty is totally confused now. What does Katie have in mind?

Katie notices his confusion and quickly adds, "You have done so much for my mom. You have been a great support for her before I came and I know you will after I leave on Sunday, so I have a little surprise for you. Something I hope will help get your mind off of everything for a couple of hours to unwind and that you will enjoy." She hands him two tickets. They are for the screening of _Gravity_ at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery tonight. The screening will start at 8pm. "A little thank you gift from me to you. I noticed that you like science-fiction and I was sure you didn't have time to see the movie yet, so I got us two tickets."

"Wow, cool! That's awesome. Thank you so much."

"Also, I want to take you out for dinner first. To your favorite burger place," Katie says, smiling, "Unless you already have other plans for tonight." With that comment, there is another teasing smile on her lips.

"Nope, no plans. This is so cool. And Sharon will be alright at Bill's?"

"Oh yes! She was actually looking forward to seeing him outside of the hospital environment for once. I think they are going to cook and he will read to her again."

"Good!" Rusty feels relieved.

"Well, the screening starts at 8pm, so I think we leave around 5:30pm to have dinner first. Sound good?"

"Yes. Do you need me to help gather everything together for the cemetery, such as blankets, snacks, chairs and so on?"

"Did my mom reorganize anything since you came to live with her?" Katie asks ironically. "Besides the guest room, obviously."

"No, not that I am aware of. She likes to keeps things organized the way they are. She is not a fan of big changes. But I guess you know that best," he says, smirking.

Katie starts laughing. "Yes, you are right. Then, I assume I will find everything on my own. You don't need to worry about anything. This is your night off. You should just relax for a while. You must be exhausted from school. Maybe change into something a bit warmer for tonight. I heard it is supposed to cool down to 65 degrees tonight."

"Alright, thanks again. I will take a shower then and listen to some music till it is time to go." Rusty leaves the living room and goes to his bedroom.

At 5:30pm, Rusty comes out of his room, ready to leave. He helps Katie by carrying the two camping chairs and blankets while Katie is carrying the snacks and drinks. They take the elevator down to the parking garage where Katie had parked the car and then they store everything in the trunk.

They are driving Downtown to Rusty's favorite burger place and then they have dinner. Katie is amazed by the burger Rusty recommended to her. "Oh my god, I think that is the best burger I have ever had," she says, taking another bite. "Probably the last I will have for a long time though. Being a ballerina is great, but I really have to watch what I am eating most of the time. It is kind of hard to dance and look like you are a feather when you feel like a stone," she laughs. "Luckily I am not back to rehearsing until Monday, so my dance instructor will never know." Katie winks at Rusty who can't help but laugh.

"I know, those burgers are delicious and totally worth feeling awfully full afterwards."

When they finish their meals, Katie pays the bill and they leave the burger place to make their way to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Once they arrive at the cemetery, they have a problem finding a parking space so they drive around the block until they finally find one. They park the car, take all the belongings they need and make their way to the area where the movie screening will take place. Despite the parking lot being completely full when they got there, they are lucky and find a good space in the center of the meadow, which is where they set up their camping chairs. They place the drinks and popcorn between their two chairs and sit down, placing the blankets over themselves.

"Are you comfortable?" Katie asks.

"Yeah, I am good. I have been here with your dad last summer, and, uhm," Rusty hesitates, "a friend from school."

"Oh yeah, mom told me he came to visit. I guess he disappeared as quickly and quietly as he appeared?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Hmm." She nods. She loves her dad but she also knows about his gambling problem and that her mom had to finance her and her brother's colleges on her own and couldn't expect any financial support from him. He calls her about once every couple months, asks how she is doing and how her mom is. She thinks, in his own way, he still has feelings for her mom, but she knows her mom will never take him back, especially not now that she might find her happiness with Bill. Bill is a great man, a great doctor, very kind and respected by all his many patients. Katie feels someone tug on her sleeve. It is Rusty, who has noticed that she is far off in her thoughts. She looks over to him.

"The movie is starting," he smiles.

"Oh right, thanks. I was someplace else."

"So I had noticed. I am really excited for this movie. The reviews were really good."

Katie returns his smile and then they turn their heads to the screen, ready to focus on the movie. The movie is better than Rusty anticipated and the whole atmosphere in the cemetery under the open night sky makes this experience even better. Ninety minutes later, the movie is over and they start picking up their trash and belongings. They slowly make their way back to the car.

When they reach the car, Katie asks, "So, tomorrow is your birthday, isn't it?"

"Uh yeah, I completely forgot, with everything going on; and my birthday has never been very special anyway. I haven't really celebrated it for the last couple of years."

"Well, birthdays should be special, so we better quickly change that."

She hands him an envelope. Rusty puts the belongings in the trunk and takes it; he is surprised. "Thanks!"

"I am so glad we sorted out our problems from the first day and that I got to know you better this week. You are a great kid; very smart and caring. I know why my mom took you into her home and especially into her heart."

Inside the envelope is a birthday card, and when Rusty opens it to read it, there are two tickets. He looks at the tickets, gasping, eyes opening wide, jaw dropping.

"Oh my god, you did not! How did you get your hands on these? The tickets have been sold out for months." In his hands, Rusty holds two tickets for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April.

"I have some friends who work at the Coachella Festival and they got me those tickets. I remember mom telling me on the phone a while back how disappointed you were when you didn't manage to get tickets despite waiting in line for hours. Well, there is a ticket for you and a friend."

"Oh my god, thank you so much," he says, tears welling up in his eyes. "You have no idea how much this means to me." He starts hugging her and she can feel him shaking, from excitement and happiness.

"You are very welcome, Rusty." She can feel his embrace getting tighter. He is now sobbing against her shoulder.

"I don't know how I deserve all of you and your mom's kindness. After all I have been through with my own mom, this is all so overwhelming."

"This, Rusty, is called being a family. And especially after all you have been through, this is what you deserve. A real family! You are like a little brother to me."

Katie moves out of her embrace with Rusty, holding his face in both of her hands, and wiping away his tears with her thumbs. Then she puts her hands on the sides of his arms and squeezes them gently. "And you know mom loves you. You are her son, just like Ricky."

**Reviews, as always, are appreciated and taken into account. My other writer and I love the critique and we always love new ideas. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's Chapter 16. Hope you all are still enjoying it because I plan to continue it for a long time! Also, thank you to my wonderful reviewers!**

Around three that afternoon, Bill is sitting on the couch reading, having taken the day off so he could relax. He'd had a meeting and now he is just lounging around. He suddenly hears his phone buzzing on the coffee table and he closes the book, making sure to mark his page. He picks it up and looks at the name, surprised when he sees that it is Sharon.

"Hi Sharon. How are you doing?"

"Hi Bill. It's Katie, Sharon's daughter."

"Oh, is everything alright?" Bill says nervously. Since when is he nervous about his patients?

"Yes, it is. I was just wondering if you would like to spend the evening with my mom. I'm planning on taking Rusty out to a movie for some bonding time and I was hoping that it could just be Rusty and I. I don't want to leave my mom home alone for a long time and so I was wondering if you would like to spend the evening with her."

"Katie, are you setting me and your mom up?" It's not like he would object, but he needs to remain somewhat in control of his heart.

"No, of course not. I'm merely asking for a favor because I don't want to take the chance if she's home alone." It's not like she's lying, she is worried about leaving her mom home alone, but she is kind of setting them up because she could have called someone else.

"Alright. What time are you bringing her over? At least, I hope you're bringing her over and she's not driving."

"No, I am definitely driving. We'll probably be there around 3:45. Where do you live?" She smiles inwardly at her plan, making sure that her mom doesn't see her smile.

He gives her his address and then says, "Okay. See you then." He ends the call and then looks around the living room. He does a quick pick up of his apartment and then walks into his kitchen, checking the contents of his refrigerator, making sure he has everything he needs to cook dinner. Remembering the bottle of unopened wine in the cupboard, he takes it out and places it in the refrigerator to chill. He makes his way into his bedroom and changes into some nicer clothes, nothing fancy, but just out of his jeans and t-shirt. Looking in the mirror in his bathroom, he realizes he should shave. After pulling out his straight razor, he gives himself a nice shave. As he is washing the remaining shaving cream off of his face, he hears knocking on the door. He dries his face and then makes his way out to the entry way. He opens the door and his breath is taken away.

Sharon is standing on the other side of the door with her daughter. She is wearing everyday clothes but she looks absolutely stunning in them, a pair of dark jeans and a beautiful blue top. Her face may be pale and her hair may be thinning, but she is gorgeous because she is Sharon.

"Hi Sharon," he says once he comes to his senses.

"Hi Bill," Sharon says with a bright smile on her face.

"Well, I'll leave you two kids. Have fun! I'll pick you up later, Mom," Katie says, and then leaves the two of them alone.

"Well, come on in."

Sharon walks inside of Bill's apartment and looks around, stunned by all of the old paintings. His apartment carries a sense of home in it.

Bill closes the door behind her and says, "Well, I have to say the call was certainly a surprise."

Sharon looks at him and says, "I know. I insisted that I would be fine at home, but Katie would not take no for an answer."

"I figured," Bill says. "You can take a seat on the couch. I was reading earlier when your daughter called."

"Oh, thank you." She walks over to the couch and sits down. As she is sitting down, her eye catches the cover of the book he must have been reading earlier. "_Love and Bullets_. That is one of my favorite books. I have a weakness for mysteries, even though I live them every day."

Bill chuckles as he sits down next to her, almost touching her. He then says, "Yes, so do I."

"So, think my daughter is trying to set us up?"

Bill laughs quietly and says, "Yes, I think that is a definite possibility."

"Well, you're not the only one. I do too. But since I'm already here, we might as well enjoy ourselves. So, what are our plans for tonight?"

"Well, I was thinking we could watch a movie. Have dinner and then maybe read another chapter of _Searider Falcon_. How does that sound?" Bill looks at her with a questioning look on his face.

"That sounds perfect. What movie?"

Bill doesn't know if she is doing this on purpose, but she is making it so hard for him to think. He is a sixty year old man; he should be more mature than this. He clears his throat and says, "Uhm, you pick. The movies are in the cabinet to the right of the TV. I'm going to go get us something to drink."

"Alright," Sharon says.

They both stand up from the couch and go opposite directions. Sharon goes over to the cabinet with the movies and Bill walks over to the kitchen to get them some water. As he walks back holding two glasses, he sees Sharon pulling a disc out of a case and popping it into the player. He sets the glasses down on coasters on the coffee table and then sits down on the couch. He then says, "So, which one did you pick?"

Sharon stands up and says, "_To Catch a Thief_. I love this movie, one of the classics. I own in but haven't been able to watch it in forever because Rusty complains that it's too old."

As Sharon sits down on the couch beside him, he turns to her and says, "Speaking of Rusty, how is he doing? I know it can be stressful when a loved one is going through cancer."

"I'm not sure. Sometimes he's okay and then other times he breaks down. I feel for bad for him because he shouldn't have to see me going through this. And it's not just because of what he went through in his life, it's because no child should have to watch their mother go through that."

"I understand, and I know how he feels."

Sharon gives him a questioning look, urging him to continue, wanting to find out more about him.

"I had to watch my mother go through cancer. I was 18 when she died."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't imagine what that must have been like." There is a moment of silence while she is thinking. "That's why you pushed me so hard to tell Rusty, isn't it, because you've been in his position?"

"Yes, it is. And even if I hadn't been in his position before I still would have pushed hard because every child deserves to know."

Sharon nods her head solemnly and then says, "Well, movie?"

"Yes," Bill says, his mood changing back to normal. He clicks the TV on as Sharon takes a sip of water. She places the glass back on the coffee table and then leans back into the couch, kicking her shoes off quietly.

For the next hour and forty-six minutes, Bill and Sharon are immersed into the story of _To Catch a Thief. _Bill had stopped himself plenty of times during the movie from wrapping his arm around Sharon's shoulders, but towards the end of the movie he could see Sharon leaning towards him. Before he can stop himself, he lays his arm across Sharon's shoulders. He is surprised when she doesn't look at him in shock, but instead leans farther into him.

Once the movie is done, Bill looks at her and says, "Are you up for some dinner?"

"Sure. What are we having?"

"I was thinking spaghetti. What do you think?"

"That sounds delicious," Sharon says as Bill stands up from the couch. "You know, I'm glad Katie forced us to have an evening together. It's actually been really nice."

"As am I," Bill says as he walks into the kitchen. He gets everything out that is needed to make spaghetti and then he starts cooking.

Sharon walks up behind him and startles him when she says, "Oh, a man who knows how to cook."

Bill chuckles and says, "I love cooking. It's relaxing after a day of work. It's nice to come home and unwind by making dinner."

Sharon places her hand on his shoulder and says, "I love cooking too. It's hard to find time to cook now because I work late most nights and I'm dealing with this, but I occasionally get time to cook a good meal." Seeing as though he is almost done, she says, "I can set the table. Where do you keep the dishes?"

"Oh, no you don't have to do that."

"It's fine," Sharon says.

Bill tells her where things are with hesitance. He doesn't want her to have to work, but he knows that she won't give up when something is on her mind. Just as she finishes setting the table, he calls to her, "There is a bottle of wine in the fridge. The wine glasses are on the top shelf in the cupboard right beside the fridge."

Sharon walks back into the kitchen and pulls two wine glasses down from the cupboard. She places the two glasses on the table and then pulls the wine bottle out of the refrigerator. As she pours the wine in the two glasses, Bill comes up behind her and places his hand on her lower back as he reaches across the table and sets the pot of noodles down. He then goes back to get the pan of sauce and make the salad. Once Sharon is done pouring wine in the two glasses, she takes the wine bottle back to the kitchen, corks it, and then places it back in the fridge.

As they sit down at the table, Bill asks her for her plate and he dishes out the spaghetti and the salad. He hands it back to her and then puts some on his plate.

Sharon swirls her wine around in her glass and then takes a sip. The alcohol hits her just right as she feels it going down the back of her throat, the warmth it creates inside of her. "Mmmm. That's a nice red." She sets the glass back down and takes a bite of her spaghetti. "This is delicious. How did you learn to cook so well?"

"Thank you. When I was in medical school, I would take breaks from studying. I needed to relax my mind on those breaks so I would cook. I loved cooking and I taught myself how to cook during those breaks."

"That's wonderful. I know how to cook, but not this well. Actually, speaking of medical school, when did you decide that you wanted to become a doctor?"

Bill takes a few more bites so he can give himself time to think. "Thinking back on it, I guess I decided to become a doctor after my mother died. It hurt me that I couldn't help her. So, I thought about it and decided on becoming a doctor because then I could help other people. I may have not been able to help my mom, but I could do it for other people."

"Well, that makes sense. I'm sure it is gratifying to know that you are helping people."

"It is. So, how did you decide to become a cop?" Bill says in between bites.

Sharon swallows and then takes a sip of wine. "Well, believe me, I had no intention of becoming a police officer. I only took that job so I could help pay Jack's way through law school and then Jack was going to help pay my way through law school. And then I had both of my wonderful children and then Jack left. And by then, I liked the law a lot better than I liked lawyers. And then there's saving people, I liked that too. So, that's how I ended up where I am."

They finish their dinner and then Bill cleans up their dishes, leaving their wine glasses out on the table.

Sharon stays at the table while he is picking up and takes small sips of her wine.

Once he finishes cleaning up, he walks out to the living room and turns on some soft music. He walks back into the dining room and says, "Would you like to dance?"

Sharon looks up at him in surprise and says, "Sure." She takes one final sip of her wine and slowly stands up from the chair, taking hold of his arm.

They walk into the living room and Bill places his hand on the middle of her back. He takes her hand in his and kisses it. She places her hand on his shoulder and tears well up in her eyes when he kisses her hand. He hugs her tight to him and they begin to sway back and forth with the rhythm of the music. She rests her head on his shoulder and allows herself to relax. Without her heels, Sharon is much shorter than Bill.

Eventually they stop dancing and Sharon lifts her head from Bill's shoulder so she is looking straight into his ocean blue eyes. He releases his hand from hers and places it underneath her chin. She smiles as if she is surprised and then he leans forward and kisses her.

He releases her lips and leans away from her. A smile is tugging at the corners of her mouth as a tear falls down her cheek. He places a kiss on her forehead and she tightly hugs him.

As they walk over to the couch, he picks up _Searider Falcon_ from its place on the bookshelf and they sit down on the couch beside each other. Sharon curls her feet under her and leans into Bill's side, not sure if it is the alcohol taking over or her heart. She hasn't been cared for by a man like this in so long. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer to him. He opens the book where they left off and begins reading, his gruff voice finding all the nuances in the writing.

They are so involved in the book that they are startled when there is a knock at the door. Bill marks their page and then closes the book, standing up from the couch. He makes his way over to the door, opens it, and finds Katie and Rusty standing on the other side.

"Hello Katie, Rusty."

As soon as Sharon hears Bill speak their names, she stands up from the couch and slides her shoes on. She walks over to the door and says hi to her daughter and son.

"Hi Bill, hi Mom. How was your night?"

"It was lovely," Sharon says. "Well, I'd better be going, Bill. Tonight was wonderful. I hope we can do that again sometime."

"As do I," Bill says.

Sharon gives him a long hug, more than a hug between friends should be, both Katie and Rusty think. They both look at each other and raise their eyebrows.

Sharon lets go of Bill and then the three of them leave the building. Sharon has an odd smile on her face the entire ride home.

**Hoped you liked it! Review, review, review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, here's the next chapter. Sorry it didn't get updated sooner, the other author and I both got really busy. Thanks for all the reviews! As always, we both appreciate them! Hope you enjoy!**

At eight the next morning, there is a knock on the door. Katie is already up and now running to the door. It is Mr. Olmos from the local bakery. Sharon had told him to knock, so he wouldn't wake up Rusty by ringing the doorbell. He is holding a big white box, which he hands over to Katie.

"Oh, the cake, how wonderful. And thank for remembering to knock instead of ringing the doorbell," she speaks quietly.

"Of course, Ms. Raydor. We don't want to spoil the surprise for the birthday boy, do we?" He smiles at her, also speaking with an inside voice.

"That's exactly right, Mr. Olmos," Katie says as she takes the box and puts it on the dining table to have a quick look inside. "Oh my god, it's perfect. You did an incredible job, Mr. Olmos. I knew you were a genius when it comes to cakes, but this one is just AMAZING."

She gets her wallet from her purse and pays Mr. Olmos for the cake. He tips his head and says his goodbyes. Katie had gotten up at seven to prepare everything for Rusty's birthday. The table is set for a nice birthday breakfast and the presents are just waiting to be opened. She leaves the cake in the box but puts it in the middle of the table. She hears a door open and is relieved when she sees her mother coming towards her.

"Oh mom, good, it's you. I was hoping you would be up before Rusty. I was just about to wake you up. Good morning." She gives her mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning Katie bug. No worries, darling. Rusty usually doesn't get up before nine on the weekend. I see you already set the table. When did you get up?" She looks around, admiring her daughter's decoration skills.

"Seven, but I have been awake since 6:30."

"Oh honey, you are amazing, thank you so much for your help." Sharon embraces her daughter. She holds on to her for a while until they both hear Rusty's bedroom door open. He is approaching them, looking still very sleepy.

"Good morning, Sleepy-Head," Katie says, smiling. Rusty is barely able to smile back.

"Morning," he yawns. But then he sees the dining table all decorated. He sees a big white box in the center of the table and a couple of presents. His eyes widen. Sharon approaches him and hugs him as tight as her energy allows her to.

"Happy Birthday, Rusty." When Sharon is finished hugging him, it is Katie's turn to hug him.

"Happy Birthday, little bro." She smirks, though Rusty can't see it.

"What is all of this?" Rusty asks astonished. He can't remember the last time he actually celebrated his birthday, let alone getting any gifts.

"It's your birthday, Rusty, and those gifts are for you." Sharon feels tears welling up in her eyes. She knows Rusty hasn't had a real birthday in years, so she wanted to make this day extra special for him.

"What's this?" he asks while pointing at the big white box.

"Well, go ahead and open it," Katie teases. Rusty does as he is told. He walks over to the dining table and lifts the top of the box. Rusty's eyes open wide. He can't believe what he is seeing.

"Your birthday cake, Rusty. Do you like it?"

"Oh my god, it looks like a chess set. It looks so real. Are you sure it is a cake?" Now it is Rusty's turn to feel tears welling up in his eyes.

"Positive! And it is your favorite; it's a double chocolate cake, with white and dark chocolate. Your friend Mr. Olmos from the bakery around the corner made it. He said the chess figures are made from chocolate too, so everything is edible." Sharon smiles. "So, do you want to eat or open your presents first?"

"Well, as excited as I am by this, my hunger is much bigger. So I say let's eat first."

"Alright," Katie says, "you can choose between pancakes, waffles and Hash Browns with breakfast sausages."

"Hmm, I think I will go with the pancakes," Rusty replies.

"Mom?"

"I would like the waffles please."

"Alright, breakfast will be served shortly. I already prepared the pancake and the waffle batter so they will be done in no time." Katie loves taking care of people, and she loves cooking. She pours the waffle batter in the waffle iron and the pancake batter on the pancake platform of the stove. She decides for pancakes as well, so she makes enough for two servings. Five minutes later, everything is done and she puts the plates in front of Rusty and Sharon, and then gets her plate and sits down next to them. They eat in silence, but it's not an awkward silence anymore.

When everyone is done with their breakfast, Sharon asks, "Do you want to try your cake for dessert or do you want to eat it later?"

"I think I would like to try it now. There is still some space in my stomach where the cake will fit in perfectly." He laughs and Sharon and Katie join him.

"Alright, I will get a knife," Katie says, still chuckling.

Rusty jumps off his chair. "Wait a second! I will get my camera first. I want to take a photo of the cake before we destroy this incredible piece of art." He runs to his room to get his camera. As quickly as he left the table, he is back with his camera. He is taking a couple of photos from different angles and then says, "Alright, now you can murder it." They all laugh again.

"Oh Rusty, please don't jinx this moment. It's a Saturday and I really hope Lieutenant Provenza won't call me into the office."

"Alright, alright, I will be quiet now," he chuckles.

"You want to try some, Mom?"

"Oh yes, please. This cake looks so delicious and who would be able to say no to chocolate, right?"

Katie cuts three pieces of cake and puts them each on a new and smaller plate. Sharon is licking her lips. Rusty's eyes are sparkling with excitement.

They all take their first bite at the same time, and all three have the same reaction.

"Hmmmm, delicious," all three say in sync, their eyes closed. Realizing what they have just done, they break into laughter. The day has just started and Rusty already thinks this is the best day he has had in a very long time. They finish the cake and put the rest in the fridge. The box just about fits in there. If it had been any bigger, they would have had a problem. While Katie puts the dishes away and clears the table, Rusty starts unwrapping his presents. Ten minutes later, he has unwrapped all the gifts and put the wrapping paper in the trash can. He wasn't expecting anything for his birthday, and he would have already been happy just spending the day with Sharon and Katie. Living with Sharon, feeling safe and loved was all he wanted and needed. He didn't need any gifts, so he appreciated them even more. He got a brand new chess set, a $50 gift card for Best Buy, a Jersey of his favorite football player, a new backpack for school, and cologne. There is a card attached to the cologne. It is from Ricky. The card reads, "_Hey Rusty, I know we haven't met, YET, but I have heard so many great things about you. I thing we will get along very well. I got you this cologne for your birthday, it's my favorite. Hope you like the scent. ~ Ricky"_

Rusty is touched by all the nice gifts and gives Sharon and Katie a tight squeeze. "Thank you so much for everything. I really appreciate it. I hope you know that."

"Of course we do, Rusty," Sharon says. "And now, time to get dressed everyone. I thought we could go to the Griffith Observatory today. I haven't been there in years."

"Oh that's a great idea, Mom," Katie replies. Rusty nods in agreement. Everyone hurries to their rooms to freshen up and get dressed. Fifteen minutes later, they meet in the living room, ready to go out. Suddenly Sharon's phone is ringing. "Oh no, please not," Sharon moans. It is indeed Lieutenant Provenza.

"_Good morning Captain. I know it is Rusty's birthday and you had plans but we need you in the office to sign something. It is very urgent. Once you signed this document you are free to leave and I won't bother you anymore today, promise._"

Sharon sighs, "Alright Lieutenant, we were just on our way out, so we will get to the office in about 45 minutes if the traffic is smooth."

"_Alright, see you soon,_" Provenza says and then hangs up.

"I am so sorry, Rusty, but we will have to stop at the office on our way to the Griffith Observatory. Lieutenant Provenza says he needs me to sign something that can't wait till Monday."

"That's ok. That shouldn't take too long, I guess. As long as they don't keep you there to solve a murder."

"Oh god, I hope not," Sharon says as she turns around to leave the apartment. Katie and Rusty follow her.

One hour later, they arrive at the Los Angeles Police Department. The traffic has been relatively nice and they only got stuck in traffic once. Katie, who is driving, is parking the car in Sharon's designated parking spot and all three of them make their way up to the Major Crimes department. When they get off the elevator and enter the office, it is oddly quiet and dark in there. "Hello," Sharon calls out.

Suddenly the lights turn on and the whole Major Crimes team screams, "SURPRISE! Happy Birthday, Rusty!"

Rusty is taken aback and takes a deep breath; he is in shock. The team has decorated the whole office with balloons and garlands. On Tao's desk, he sees another gift. Lieutenant Flynn's desk is filled with drinks and Provenza and Sykes' desk is loaded with different kinds of foods, like chips, M&M's, pizza boxes and hamburger ingredients. From the corner of his eye, Rusty's sees Katie and Sharon smile at each other. They must have known about this, about a surprise party for him. He doesn't know what to say and obviously the team members realize that their surprise has been a great success. They have rendered the kid speechless, which is quite the achievement. They all approach Rusty and wish him a Happy Birthday individually. Sykes even gives him a hug, and Flynn slaps him on the shoulder.

Provenza is last to congratulate him. He puts his arm around Rusty's shoulder and leads him to Tao's desk where a present is waiting for him. "Everyone in the team put money in for this."

Rusty hesitantly unwraps the gift. He can't believe what he is seeing. "No guys, that's too much. I can't accept this."

"Too late," Tao counters, "It's already paid for and insured in your name."

Rusty picks up the box. It is a brand new laptop. Thus far, he always had to use Sharon's laptop to go on the internet or do his homework, now he has his own. "I don't know how to thank you all. You guys have been so amazing to me. Thank you so much."

"You are part of this family, kiddo," Flynn states. Rusty smiles at everyone, although he feels tears welling up in his eyes again.

"Sooo, I guess it's time for lunch," Provenza calls out, "what do you all think?" They all nod in agreement. "Alright then, grab a paper plate and get yourselves some food. We have plenty!"

Everyone is filling their plates with food and getting something to drink. Once they are done eating, Rusty unpacks his new laptop and Tao helps him set it up while the others are busying themselves with conversations. Once the laptop is set up, Rusty and Tao join the conversations. A little later, Buzz puts on some music and everyone dances, everyone but Provenza and Sharon. She suddenly feels a little dizzy, so Provenza leads her to a desk and she sits down. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

He nods sympathetically.

Sharon watches everyone from where she is sitting, especially Rusty. She is happy to see him having such a good time. Everyone seems to enjoy themselves. Then she looks over to her daughter dancing with Flynn and she gets sad. Katie is going back to New York tomorrow. It's incredible how quickly this past week has passed. She loved having Katie with her and that she finally got to know Rusty in person. Despite their rocky start, they have become great friends this week.

At eight that night, the party is over. Everyone wraps some leftovers in aluminum foil to take home and helps clean the office. They were lucky that there was no new case today. One hour later, the office is squeaky clean again and they all leave the office to go home.

When Sharon and the kids get home, she excuses herself, "I am so sorry, but it has been a long day and all my energy is gone. I'm going to go to bed. But you two should watch a movie or play a game. Don't worry about me. I will read for a bit and then go to sleep."

"Aww, ok Sharon. Thank you so much for this fantastic day. This was the best day I have had in a long time. Good night." He walks over to her and gives her a hug.

Then Katie walks over to her and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Night mom. I love you!"

"I love you too, both of you," she says, a weak smile on her lips. Then she turns around and goes to her bedroom.

"So, Rusty, a movie or a game? It's your call."

"I think I would prefer watching a movie."

"Alright, you pick. I will get us something to drink and some more cake."

"Sounds great." Rusty goes over to the DVD shelf and picks a movie. He puts it into the DVD player and then sits down on the couch. He chose _K-Pax_. Katie joins him shortly after, giving him his drink. "Thanks."

"You are very welcome," she replies.

Rusty picks up the remote and hits play. They both get comfortable on the couch by slouching down a bit and enjoy the movie.

**Hope you're continuing to enjoy this story! Let us know your thoughts. **


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